Harry Potter and the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
by Maileesaeya
Summary: Struck by her sister's death, Petunia decides to do right by raising Harry, regardless of Vernon's opinion. Years later, Harry is eager to learn and make friends, studying intently and trying to be like his mother. And soon enough, he finds himself with three life-long friends, entering a world of magic and adventure that has been waiting just for him... No Pairings, No Bashing.
1. Regrets

**Well, well, well, it's about time. I've been wanting to write a Harry Potter fanfic for years now, I just never felt like I could get the beginning right until recently. Perhaps I was spurred to action by getting back into HP fanfiction, only to discover the same idiocy floating around? Hmm...**

**At any rate, let me start off by saying that I am emphatically opposed to the general stupidity of character bashing. These is a form of "bashing" that can come across well, but as a rule, it's just never a good sign. Nor is being overly critical of a character's flaws while producing another character who is better in near-every respect. Moving on.**

**There are no pairings in this story yet. For pete's sake, they're _eleven and twelve_. Little crushes, sure, but no real romantic relationships. That said, to get this out of the way, my preferred love interests for Harry are Hermione and Luna, followed by Fleur. The first two I understand, but I still haven't figured out the last one. But to be clear, no, I do not hate Ginny, Ron, Molly or Dumbledore, so don't expect any of that.**

**I've got a long rant waiting, but I'll post that at the end so we can simply get started. To any of my regulars reading this: I ran into some recent computer trouble that has created certain difficulties with my usual writing. Unless you intend to somehow scrape together and send me the money for a new computer, don't expect that to change anytime soon, but I will hopefully be able to update sometime in the near future anyways.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the associated characters.**

**SPECIAL THANKS: To Joanne Rowling for the Harry Potter series. I owe Rowling a great deal, as she inspired me to learn, to read and to write. I discovered my passion for books through the Harry Potter series and may never have found myself without them.**

* * *

**HARRY POTTER  
_and the_ SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDRY**  
CHAPTER ONE: Regrets

Petunia Dursley stared at the letter in her hands, her mind barely functional from shock. She'd read and re-read the letter, over and over and over again and she did it one more time just to tell herself that this was real.

Her sister Lily had been murdered along with her husband and their murderer had vanished after a failed attempt to murder their baby son Harry, who had been left on the doorstep of Petunia's home along with the letter from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the school where Lily had learned magic.

Vernon, Petunia's husband, paced back and forth, muttering angrily to himself as his wife sat on the couch, glancing between the letter and the bundle that held her once again sleeping nephew. Dumbledore's letter had warned Petunia that the dark wizard who'd murdered Lily had numerous followers still at large who would likely try to harm Harry, but that Dumbledore had been able to cast a spell using the power of Lily's love for her son to protect him as long as he shared a home with Petunia, his closest living blood relative.

"This is unacceptable," grumbled Vernon. "We'll find the boy an orphanage—better than he deserves really, the little freak."

"_You're a freak!" "Freak!" "FREAK!"_

_SMACK!_

Vernon froze. Not from the force of it, but rather from shock at his wife slapping him. Petunia's face was red with fury, but there were obvious tears of grief now streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't you dare," she hissed at her husband. "Don't you _dare_ speak like that about my nephew."

"But Petunia, dear, you hated your sister…"

"No!" screamed Petunia. "What do you think I _am_ Vernon?! Do you have any idea… _any idea_… you… you…" It perhaps surprised both of them a little that Vernon shrunk away from his wife slightly. "She was my sister. And I'll not hear another _word_ against my sister or her son. Not from you or _anyone_!"

* * *

_Many years later…_

She still lived on Privet Drive, just not with Vernon anymore. It was barely a year before Vernon grew frustrated with the way Petunia treated her nephew and she couldn't entirely fault him for that—certainly it could be seen as odd for a woman to shower more love and care on her nephew than on her own son. Still, what had really bothered Vernon was just what Harry was, which had led to their near-total falling out and divorce.

How it was that she'd managed to take him to the cleaners in court was beyond Petunia, but she had a sneaking suspicion that she'd had aid of the decidedly supernatural variety. She tried not to think about it too much.

Vernon still lived close by and had custody of Dudley, as there was absolutely no way she could've gotten custody of two children, but she still saw her son frequently, which was a good thing as she strongly suspected she was the only positive influence in his life now. Not that she hated Vernon, exactly—it was not without reason that she'd married him, but his attitude regarding Lily's death and raising Harry had decidedly soured her opinions of her ex-husband.

Over the years, Harry had grown well—vivid almond green eyes identical to his mother's, but otherwise taking largely after his father, messy hair and all. His… conflicts with Dudley had resulted in some interested occurrences over the years, manifestations of his magical power. At one time, Petunia would've been horrified by the events, but now they just gave her a sense of heartache, conjuring memories of Lily's own manifestations.

It was a similar story with Dudley, who despite living with Vernon tended to spend more time around Petunia and Harry due to his father's busy work schedule. Worried about what Vernon might feed her son, Petunia always made sure to keep a close eye on him and Harry whenever he was over and had been relieved to see nothing more than some light-hearted play-bullying, the sort one would typically expect of brothers. It actually made her smile a bit.

She had, however, kept a tight-lid on the matter of his heritage. She had quite a few reasons for that really, all of them related to her memories of his parents. She vividly recalled Lily's descriptions of James Potter as an arrogant bully out to get her best friend (though at the time, Petunia really hadn't cared much for the boy herself and had no idea what became of him), though he seemed to have improved by the time Petunia met him herself. Another was that she wanted him to learn when got his letter, just like Lily had. Perhaps it was selfish of her, wanting to bring out the sister she'd never gotten to reconcile with in her nephew, but she ignored that nagging feeling. But perhaps the biggest reason was memories of her own childhood, when Lily had gotten her acceptance letter. How much Petunia had wanted to have that gift, how much she'd wanted to go to Hogwarts herself… and how bitterly jealous she was, especially as Lily became their parents' favorite. Petunia promised not to let that happen to Dudley, and also didn't want to risk Dudley getting any sense of false hope that he might go to Hogwarts—it was devastating enough to Petunia when she'd known almost immediately that it wouldn't happen, so how bad would it be if Dudley were hoping for a letter and never got one?

At this point, she just hoped she'd managed to be a good mother… to both of them.

Harry Potter had a rather different view of things, but then again, he was both ignorant of things his aunt knew and well aware of things she was blissfully ignorant about… and Harry had no inclination to enlighten her to the fact that her son was a bit of a bully. He really wanted to spare her feelings and for the most part Dudley wasn't too bad, probably because he was terrified of Harry informing Petunia

Uncle Vernon, the few times he had met Harry, had been bristling with obvious but well-restrained hostility, so Harry didn't think much of him. He thought the world of his aunt though, aside from the way she seemed to discourage him having friends (a matter in which Dudley might've unwittingly helped, given that he'd driven off most of Harry's prospective friends). Whenever he probed her about why, though, she merely pursed her lips and told him that he'd understand when he was eleven.

Which, as it happened, would be in less than ten days. Sufficed to say, he was really looking forward to this particular one, especially as Petunia had been telling him that he would likely be attending a boarding school where his parents had originally met. There had been an odd look in her eye as she said that, but he didn't press her on the matter.

Almost ten years had passed, all of it leading up to this moment as Harry picked up the day's mail and headed back to the kitchen for breakfast, idly flipping through the mail. The last item was odd a thick and heavy envelope of yellowish parchment with a wax seal bearing a coat of arms showing a large _H_ surrounded by a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake. As Harry entered the kitchen and set the rest of the mail down for Petunia to look at when she finished breakfast, he turned the envelope over in curiosity, never noticing that his aunt had suddenly forgotten the eggs she was cooking as she stared at the envelope with an expression for which the only readable emotion was sorrow, though for what no one else would ever know.

From that day forward, no matter how much later in life it was, Harry would always look back and think of that moment he flipped the unstamped envelope over that his life was changed forever.

**Mr. H Potter  
The First Bedroom  
4 Privet Drive  
Little Whinging  
Surrey**

Harry gaped slightly, for several reasons, but the two big ones were that he could think of no one who would write him a letter—after all, he hardly knew anyone outside of his family besides Mrs. Arabella Figg, a particularly nice neighbor who sometimes babysat him—and the precision of the address was a little absurd. He glanced at Petunia uncertainly and only then realized that she'd been watching him, only absentmindedly removing the skillet from the burner.

"Open it," she said softly, as though she knew exactly what he held in his hands.

Somewhat unnerved by his aunt's strange behavior, Harry did as instructed, breaking the seal and pulling out the folded letter within.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL  
_of_ WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE  
(_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards_)

Dear Mr. Potter,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.  
Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall,  
_Deputy Headmistress_

One Harry James Potter read these words several times before coming to the conclusion that he'd been pranked… at least until Petunia spoke up.

"I knew it was coming," she said softly. "I just didn't think it would be so soon…" Harry looked up at her with a small measure of shock.

"Aunt Petunia, what are you talking about?" he asked.

"Hogwarts," she said, "was the school your mother attended." She set the skillet down and turned all of her attention on Harry. "I promised that I'd tell you everything soon. Harry… it's true. That letter is real. Lily received one just like it, twenty years ago." Petunia closed her eyes with a pained expression, as if the memory were somehow physically painful.

"All these years, I've watched you, hoping and fearing that you'd show the same talents as Lily… and you did. Oh Harry, you may not have noticed it, but you did." Petunia knelt down next to Harry, hands on his shoulders. "It's real Harry. Magic is real."

"But… how…?"

And so Petunia began to explain. She told him about how his mother had received her letter, told him what she knew about magic and a little about how he came under her care, though she was somewhat evasive about that last bit.

They never did eat breakfast.

* * *

More than a week had passed, during which Harry had learned a great deal. Petunia related a few stories to him about Lily, told him about the magical marketplace known as Diagon Alley and the blatantly magical Platform 9¾, though she tended to get especially evasive about that last one. He'd also learned that Mrs. Figg had her own connection to the magical world and had told him a little of some famous figures in that world, particularly that of the Hogwarts headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

It was certainly an experience for him. Petunia had sent a reply for Harry and had explained to him that they'd get his school supplies after his small birthday party, to which Vernon refused to go and Dudley had come with Mrs. Figg. Birthdays for Harry were always small due to his lack of friends, which he suddenly understood better now that he knew where he'd be going to school for the next seven years.

The party itself still proved unusual because of one of the gifts he received: a photo album from Mrs. Figg of his parents and their friends… and the photos were _moving_. Harry had the presence of mind to hide this from Dudley, as they still hadn't told him about magic. To Petunia, it was already obvious that Dudley had received no letter, as there was no way he wouldn't have told her about it (and no way Vernon could've stopped it, seeing as someone from Hogwarts staff would've delivered it personally). This upset her slightly, since it reminded her of her own youth, but Harry had been eager to tell his cousin, who was after all the closet thing he had to a friend, despite some occasional playful bullying of the sort one would generally expect between family.

And then the party was brought to an abrupt halt by a loud knocking on the door. Frowning, Petunia headed to answer it while Harry and Dudley glanced at each other uncertainly.

"You make any new friends I haven't heard about?" asked Dudley. Harry shook his head.

"No… well, not yet," he said uncertainly. "I got an invitation last week to the school my parents attended, so I'm hoping to make some friends there."

"I don't think you'll have any trouble," said Dudley as they heard Petunia talking to someone in the hall. "Of course, I suppose most of the people who've wanted to be your friend just thought you could protect them from me."

"You're not as big a bully as you like to think," said Harry dryly. Mrs. Figg watched the byplay with some amusement.

"I defy you!" proclaimed Dudley dramatically, emphasizing his words with a pointed finger at Harry, even as footsteps approached from the hall. Conversation died off at that point, though, because Petunia was so light that you could barely hear her walking most of the time… but the footsteps now approaching seemed like they were shaking the whole house. Mrs. Figg didn't seem to notice, but as Petunia entered the kitchen Harry and Dudley looked up with wide eyes at the figure behind her.

The man was absolutely enormous—Harry didn't know that he'd ever seen such a large man anywhere, even including André the Giant on the TV. He was severely hunched over, bent at the knees, waist and shoulders, but his head still brushed the ceiling, as if he were at least twice as tall as a full grown man at full height.

"So there yeh are, Harry," he said, beetle black eyes twinkling merrily behind the scraggly and wild beard and hair that covered almost every other part of his face. "Haven't seen yeh since yeh were just a baby. Ah, that was a bad night all over."

Harry and Dudley shared looks of absolute shock before Petunia intervened.

"This man is from Harry's new school," she said quickly. "He's here to help us get school supplies. Duddiekins, could you head back to Vernon's? Harry and I will tell you more later."

"Um, yes, sure thing mum," said Dudley standing up and giving Harry a quick hug. "See ya Harry. Have fun. Happy birthday."

"Thanks Dud," said Harry with a small smile before his cousin gave his mother a hug and received a kiss on the cheek. The giant shifted away from the hallway entry, allowing Dudley to pass him and head for the front door as he bid Petunia and Mrs. Figg goodbye.

"Well, Hagrid, I can't remember the last time I saw you," said Mrs. Figg once they heard the door close. She stood up. "I think I'll be off myself. I'm sure you've got a great many things to discuss, so I won't impose."

"O' course Mrs. Figg," said Hagrid cheerfully. "An' where are me manners?" he continued, looking at Harry as Mrs. Figg left. "Let me introduce meself. Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts. Yeh'll know all about Hogwarts, o' course."

"Um… some stuff," said Harry a bit nervously.

"Mr. Hagrid, I only told him about it when he got his letter," said Petunia. Hagrid looked outraged. "I thought it for the best, and from Dumbledore's letter, he thought it a good idea as well and trusted my judgment." The giant seemed to deflate a little at that.

"Well, fair enough I suppose," he said, stepping further into the kitchen before gently settling down on his knees. "Anyways, best we get on with this. Had to ask special permission to come down here; Professor McGonagall objected to it, but I was really looking forward to it. Doesn't mean I should stay too long o' course." Hagrid glanced around before chuckling softly. "I'll be waitin' outside for yeh two."

* * *

A few hours later, after hopping on a bus, a train and then another bus, Harry, Petunia and Hagrid arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Now, a bit o' advice for yeh two," said Hagrid as they approached the bar. "Try an' keep yer heads down—Harry'll be getting enough attention as it is." The two nodded, Harry with more energy than his aunt. "An' tha's not even considerin' yerself, Mrs. Dursley. Folks remember her." An unreadable expression flashed across Petunia's face at that.

Hagrid pushed open the door of the Leaky Cauldron and stepped inside. The patrons quieted as they did so, focusing on Hagrid.

"Welcome back Hagrid," said the bartender. "The usual?"

"I'm afraid not Tom," said Hagrid. "Here on official Hogwarts business, guidin' a new student and his mother ter Diagon Alley." With that, Hagrid led the two through the bar, taking advantage of his imposing height and presence to get the two past without anyone looking two closely.

"Three up, two across," muttered Hagrid. "Now remember this Harry, fer the future." He then took his umbrella and tapped one of the bricks three times. With the third tap, the brick began to shake and then withdrew into the wall, along with the bricks around it. Harry stared in wonder as an archway big enough for Hagrid to pass through formed and on the other side was a street filled with oddly dressed people.

"Welcome," said Hagrid with a broad grin, "to Diagon Alley!"

But where Harry was in awe, Petunia's expression was unreadable.

"Come on then," said Hagrid. "Firs' stop is Gringotts, the wizard bank. Lily and James left a little somethin' fer yeh Harry."

* * *

By the time they left Gringotts after retrieving the money Harry would need for school, the young wizard was feeling a mix of awe, curiosity and annoyance.

Awe at the contents of his family vault: piles and piles of gold, silver and bronze coins, surrounding a handful of miscellaneous other items; a small fortune Harry had never known about. Curiosity at what Hagrid had needed to retrieve from Vault 713. And annoyance at the goblins, whom he wasn't certain he cared for, particularly the way they made Petunia so uncomfortable (such that she'd opted not to descend into the vaults and instead wait outside the bank).

"Right then," said Hagrid cheerfully. "Yeh got yer letter with yeh, right? Has a list o' all the things yeh'll be needin'." Harry nodded, and pulled the list out of his pocket, giving it another look over. "Migh' as well start wit' yer uniform. Uh, listen yeh two, would yeh mind terribly if I slipped back ter the Leaky Cauldron fer a pick-me-up? I hate them Gringotts carts…"

"Yes, that'll be fine," said Petunia, staring at Hagrid's slightly ill complexion.

After Hagrid departed, Harry and Petunia made their way into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"Hogwarts, dear?" asked Madam Malkin, a squat smiling witch dressed all in mauve. "We've got everything you'll need. We've got another student being fitted up just now, in fact."

She led them into the backroom where a pretty blonde girl was being fitted by another witch. As Petunia looked on, quiet and uncertain, Harry was directed to stand on the stool next to the girl's, with Madam Malkin putting a long robe over his head before she started pinning it up and taking measurements with quick and practiced ease.

"Are you a new Hogwarts student as well?" asked the blonde.

"Yes," said Harry with a small nod.

"You're lucky to have your mother staying with you," the blonde continued. Harry and Petunia both started slightly at that. "Mother and father are buying supplies while I'm in here."

"Err… yes, I guess I am more comfortable with Aunt Petunia here," said Harry.

"Oh? My mistake then. Sorry," she said. "Where are your parents then?"

"They're dead," said Petunia quietly, but there was a sharpness to her voice Harry could never recall hearing before. Silence filled the room at that, while the blonde looked a bit like she'd been slapped.

"Oh… oh I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Its fine," said Harry quickly. "You couldn't know."

"Yes… yes, but still, I'm sorry." The blonde shook her head, then seemed to try turning to lighter topics. "Do you know what house you'll be in? I'll be in Slytherin of course."

"Um…" Harry looked at Petunia pleadingly and, with a small sigh and shake of her head, his aunt relented.

"His parents were both in Gryffindor," she said. That seemed to startle the blonde again.

"Oh… I see…"

She fell completely quiet after that and, a moment later, was told that she was done.

"Well… maybe I'll see you at school?" said the blonde uncertainly as she departed. Harry didn't answer her, a bit put-off by her behavior and wondering to himself what the houses were.

A few moments later, Harry and Petunia left Madam Malkin's just as a blond boy was pompously walking in like he owned the place. Hagrid was waiting for them and Harry immediately asked about Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"Ah, right," said Hagrid. "They're two of the four houses o' Hogwarts, one for each of the founders. You got Gryffindors who are all basically courageous and reckless, Hufflepuffs who don't fit into the other houses, Ravenclaws who are real smart and then the Slytherins. Better any o' the others than Slytherin though—not a witch or wizard who went bad who wasn't in Slytherin."

"_He_ was in Slytherin," said Petunia, looking at Hagrid sharply. "Lily's best friend." That startled Harry a good deal, while Hagrid looked like he'd been slapped (Harry decided that he was rather amused by the way his aunt kept verbally bitch-slapping people since they arrived).

"Err… well, anyways, let's get on with collectin' yer supplies," said Hagrid quickly.

* * *

With all the crowds, it took them about an hour to purchase most of the school supplies, including a gorgeous snowy owl Hagrid bought Harry as a birthday present. There was just one more thing to buy, and they arrived at a shabby, narrow shop with peeling gold letters over the door reading Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.

When they stepped inside, it was to find an Indian couple paying for the wands of their twin daughters and turning to leave. Mr. Ollivander focused on them and gave a small smile once his other customers were gone.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you Harry Potter," he said before focusing on the other two. "Petunia… you I did not expect. After the last time I saw you, I was certain you'd rather not have anything to do with magic."

"Times change, Mr. Ollivander," said Petunia quietly. Mr. Ollivander nodded before focusing on Hagrid.

"Rubeus Hagrid! How nice to see you again… an oak wand, sixteen inches, rather bendy as I recall."

"It was sir, yes," said Hagrid brightly.

"Good wand, that one. But I suppose they snapped it in half when you got expelled?"

"Err… yes, they did, yes," said Hagrid shuffling his feet, but Mr. Ollivander turned his attention back to Harry.

"You have your mother's eyes, you know," he said. "It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

Mr. Ollivander stepped closer while Petunia stepped back just slightly. Harry didn't blame her, as the man's silver eyes thoroughly creeped him out, especially with the lack of any blinking.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent of transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it—it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

He then stepped a bit closer, almost nose to nose with Harry.

"And that's where…" Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on Harry's forehead with a long, white finger. "I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it. Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands… well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do…" He shook his head suddenly, pulling out a measuring tape. "Well, that's the past now. Best to focus on the here and now. Now, which is your wand arm?"

The next half hour or so seemed a flurry of activity to Harry as the measuring tape examined him on its own while Mr. Ollivander pulled wands off the shelf, explaining about the uniqueness of them and the types of cores he used. Then, after calling off the measuring tape, he started putting wands in Harry's hand while explaining the make, length, core and properties of each, only to immediately snatch them away. As the pile of wands grew with Harry, Petunia and Hagrid watching with a degree of amazement and Harry's anxiety grew with it, Mr. Ollivander became increasingly excited.

"A tricky customer, _very_ tricky," he said. "Can't remember the last time I had one like you, oh no… hmm, I wonder… yes, yes, why not… here, holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

This time, as Harry took the wand, he felt a sudden warmth under his fingers and, for the first time, it wasn't snatched away immediately. He gave it a quick wave and was shocked to see a stream of red and gold sparks shoot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on the wall.

"Oh, bravo!" cried Mr. Ollivander. "Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"

"Excuse me," said Harry, "but… what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed Harry with his pale gaze.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold Mr. Potter," he said softly. "The phoenix whose tail feather resides in your wand gave another feather… just _one_ other… it is curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother… why, its brother gave you that scar." The other occupants of the store gasped slightly, each throwing a brief glance at the wand Harry held, though there was something more in Hagrid's gaze as well. "Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Mr. Potter… after all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things—terrible, yes… but great."

* * *

After that, Hagrid took them to Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor as a final stop before departing and Harry decided that the matter couldn't wait any longer.

"What really happened that night?" asked Harry, staring at the other occupants of the table (Petunia had declined getting anything herself, though Hagrid had offered). "He killed them, didn't he? The man who gave me this." He touched his scar lightly. Hagrid glanced at Petunia, but she closed her eyes and shook her head with a pained expression on her face.

"Well… don't know that I'm the right person ter tell yeh that Harry," said Hagrid softly, glancing around and leaning a bit closer. "But yeh've got ter know and I don' think Petunia here wants ter be the one ter tell yeh." He sucked in a deep breath.

"Somethin' yeh have ter understand, Harry," he started, "is that not all witches or wizards are good. Some go bad. Years ago, there was one wizard who went so bad, did such evil that even today people are afraid ter say his name. But you… yeh've got ter know… his name is Vol–" But the word seemed to tangle on his tongue, Hagrid shuddering just slightly, though there was a bit more than fear to it.

"Voldemort," supplied Petunia softly. Hagrid shuddered again, but nodded his thanks to her.

"Anyways, 'bout twenty years ago he started his rise ter power," said Hagrid. "Just before yer parents started at Hogwarts. Made war on Magical Britain. No one since Grindelwald were so terrible. He gathered followers, feared no one but Dumbledore… it was terrible. Hogwarts was about the only place safe from him. But then, ten years ago, he went after yer parents. Don't know why meself, but he did. What happened that night…" He shook his head. "Don't think anyone rightly knows, not even Professor Dumbledore. But he killed them. He killed Lily and James. No one ever lived after he decided ter kill 'em. No one, that is… 'scept you."

"Me?" gasped Harry. Hagrid nodded solemnly.

"He tried," said Hagrid. "That's no ordinary scar. That scar came from the touch o' a dark magical curse, a curse o' pure evil… but his curse didn't work on you. The house exploded and You-Know-Who was gone."

"What happened to him?" asked Harry.

"Well… some say he died. Codswallop in my opinion—don't think he had enough human left in him ter die. No, I reckon he's ou' there still, bidin' his time, waitin' for a chance to regain what he lost. Harry, that's why I've been tryin' to keep yer head down. There's not a child in our world who doesn't know yer name. Fer awhile after it happened, everyone was celebratin', raisin' glasses to Harry Potter… the Boy-Who-Lived." There were tears in Hagrid's eyes at this point, and Harry thought he could just see tears at the corners of his Aunt's eyes as well.

Not long afterwards, they departed Diagon Alley. Hagrid made sure Harry had his ticket for the Hogwarts Express, and then vanished.

* * *

Not having any friends (bar Dudley), Harry didn't exactly get out of the house much except to go on walks or when Petunia took him somewhere. Even still, the amount of time he spent cooped up over the next month was an oddity, especially as the days continued to get cooler and more comfortable. Granted, he was hardly ever alone, with his new pet owl, Hedwig, almost constantly at his side as he studied.

But he'd thrown himself into his textbooks with wild abandon, in particular studying potions and charms, having gathered that those were the subjects his mother did best in, giving him a certain enthusiasm for those two subjects in particular. It also helped to take his mind off of the grim tale Hagrid had shared with him, letting him cope more easily with the uncomfortable knowledge he'd been given. Even still, his mind often wandered to his wand, uncertain how he felt about being "chosen" by the brother of the wand that had murdered his parents. On the one hand, it made him a bit uncomfortable, as if he were directly connected to the murderer and his weapon. On the other, it was a chance to overcome the events of his infancy. In the end, he kept settling back to letting events unfold.

With all of this distracting him, Harry never did get around to telling Dudley about magic before the month was up and Petunia rushed him out to King's Cross station to catch the Hogwarts Express.

"I remember," said Petunia softly as they arrived at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. "Run through the barrier to get to the platform… you'll pass through, as long as you know what's waiting for you." She blinked and looked at Harry. "Would you like me to go first?"

"Can you?" asked Harry. "The way Hagrid was talking about it…"

"I did it before… twenty years ago, when I… when Lily first went." Harry looked at the barrier. It seemed pretty solid to him. "Just watch Harry." She then stepped forward… and vanished from sight. Harry blinked in amazement.

"I love magic," he said softly before he pushed his trunk through at a bit of a run.

He found himself on an open-air platform with Petunia on the other side. There were train cars as far as the eye could see and a great scarlet train engine with HOGWARTS EXPRESS printed across it in gold lettering. Harry looked around in awe, seeing dozens of people walking about, some heaving trunks onto the train, and so he completely missed the pained expression on his aunt's face as she looked around.

"_That's where you're going. A special school for freaks. You and that Snape boy… weirdos, that's what you two are. It's good you're being separated from normal people. It's for our safety."_

Lily had forgiven… Lily always forgave… Petunia squeezed her eyes shut.

Lily had always been the better person.

"Let's find you a compartment," said Petunia, more to distract herself than anything. Harry nodded, and the two made their way down the platform before finally coming to an empty car. Petunia helped Harry get his trunk onto the train before she stepped back off and stared at him intently.

She barely knew James Potter, though she knew of how closely Harry resembled him. But still, selfishly, she hoped that Harry would be more like Lily, more like the person who had gifted him with her eyes, more like the sister she had pushed away and lost.

Petunia surprised Harry when she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Take care of yourself Harry," she said. "Study hard, make friends… make her proud."

"I will Aunt Petunia," said Harry, choking back tears as he returned the hug. "I'll miss you."

"Please… keep in touch," said Petunia softly. "You're all I have left of her."

"I promise."

Petunia finally pulled back from the hug and stared intently into Harry's almond green eyes.

"Goodbye Harry," she said. "I'll see you at Christmas break, okay?"

"Of course!"

Petunia smiled.

"I have to go," she said. "I can't stay. It brings back painful memories. Be careful, and be like her." Harry nodded emphatically, then watched with a degree of sadness as Petunia left, soon disappearing back through the barrier to King's Cross.

Heaving a sad sigh, Harry turned back into the car and moved his trunk and Hedwig to a compartment. He struggled futilely for a moment to put his trunk in the overhead compartment before an older student with brown hair suddenly arrived to lend him a hand.

"Thanks," said Harry.

"Not a problem," replied the handsome boy, whom Harry estimated to be about three years older than himself. "You'd think there would be more people around to help first years load their stuff. Where were your parents?"

"My aunt brought me here," said Harry quickly, glossing over his parents, not wanting a repeat of the meeting with the girl in Madam Malkin's. "But being on the platform brought back painful memories so she left after we found an empty car."

"I see," said the boy. "Well, I guess that's how these things go sometimes. I'm in the next compartment over, but would you like some company for a bit while I wait for my friends to show up? My own parents already left as well."

"That'd be fine," said Harry with an eager nod. The older boy smiled and held out a hand.

"Good to hear. Name's Cedric Diggory, by the way."

"Harry Potter," replied Harry, taking Cedric's hand. The brunet's eyes widened slightly.

"Really?" he said, eyes flickering just briefly to the lightning bolt scar. "I see… so that explains… I'm sorry."

"Please, don't," said Harry. "Really. This girl in Diagon Alley wouldn't stop apologizing about it when she heard about my parents. I didn't give her my name."

"I see," said Cedric, sitting down, Harry sitting opposite him. "I can't really say I understand what that's like. My mum and dad are both doing fine, though dad's pretty busy with his work for the Ministry. What about your aunt then?"

"She's wonderful," said Harry. "A bit distant and quiet sometimes, but she's really nice."

"This is on your mum's side, right? I think I heard that your father was an only child."

Harry shrugged. "Guess so," he said. "I don't really know a lot about my dad or his family."

"Really?" asked Cedric in surprise. "I'd have wanted to learn all I can if…" He suddenly looked sheepish. "Well, I guess I'm not the best judge."

"Its fine," said Harry with a small smile. "Actually, it's nice having someone to talk to. Aunt Petunia doesn't like to talk about it and…"

"And living in the Muggle world, there aren't many people to talk to about it," concluded Cedric with a small nod. He smiled as well. "Well then Harry, I wish I could enlighten you about your parents, but…" He held out his hands helplessly. "About all I know is that they fought against You-Know-Who and your father was an excellent quidditch player."

"Quidditch?" asked Harry. Cedric looked thunderstruck for a few seconds before a look of abashed realization crossed his features.

"Right, I guess you wouldn't know," he said. "Well, I guess there's something I can tell you about besides talking to you about schoolwork, which you'll have plenty of time for when we get there." Harry nodded, a bit eager to learn this new info about the wizarding world, and Cedric launched into a lengthy explanation on the subject, detailing the positions, the balls and the important role played by the seeker, letting slip during this time his own hope to become seeker for his house quidditch team, Hufflepuff.

Eventually though, Cedric's friends showed up and he left to join them, quietly assuring Harry that he wouldn't mention who he was to them. Cedric had correctly guessed that Harry would rather not be gawked at.

After Cedric left, Harry glanced out the window to see the platform now full of people and glanced at his watch. It was only about twenty minutes until their departure time, so the number of people wasn't really surprising. The other compartments in the car were filling up quickly.

"Excuse me," came a girl's voice. Harry turned his attention to the compartment door where a short girl with sharp features and raven-black hair stood. "Is there anyone else sitting here?"

"Not yet," said Harry, standing up. "Would you like some help?"

"That'd be fine, yes," she replied, pulling her trunk into the compartment and, with Harry's help, lifting it into the overhead bin right next to Harry's trunk. "Thank you for that. I'm Tracey Davis." She held out a hand to him.

"I'm…" started Harry before a boy with blond hair showed up in the doorway.

"Hello," he said, glancing between them. "Whole car's full. Don't suppose there's any room left in here?"

"Two more seats," said Tracey, looking mildly annoyed.

"Let me help with that," said Harry, stepping forward. It didn't take long for them to stow the trunk. Harry found himself idly wondering if he was the only one who had a pet with him.

"Sorry I interrupted," said the boy suddenly. "I'm just new to this. Name's Anthony Goldstein."

"Tracey Davis."

"Har–"

The compartment door opened again, and this time a girl with a long plait of red hair down her back stood there. Harry let out a faint sigh of exasperation.

"I should stop trying to introduce myself," he said. "It seems every time I do, someone else shows up, and I don't think the compartment can hold anymore."

"Oh! I'm sorry," said the redhead. "I just thought it seemed there was still room in here."

"There is," said Harry. "But just for one more. Well, I guess since we're all small that we actually could fit more people in here, but…" He shook his head. "Would you like some help?"

"Ah, yes, please," said the girl, bringing her trunk into the compartment, where Harry and Anthony seized and stowed it. Shaking her head, Tracey sat down, patting the seat next to her, which the redhead took.

"So, as I was saying, I'm Tracey Davis."

"Anthony Goldstein," said the blond, sitting down with Harry opposite the two girls.

"I'm Susan Bones," said the redhead. As the three glanced at Harry, he threw a quick glance at the compartment door and, seeing no one else, introduced himself properly to the others.

"I'm Harry Potter."

These three simple words earned him three looks of shock, mixed with varying degrees of awe, disbelief and excitement. Looking back however many years later, Harry would never stop appreciating this precise moment of his life.

* * *

**Author's Notes: There we have it. No points for guessing the identities of the characters Harry briefly crossed paths with in Diagon Alley.  
**

**After reading the full series, I always wondered to myself what things would be like if Petunia had attempted to reconcile with Lily's memory by taking proper care of Harry. Of course, in this interpretation, Petunia is also making an effort to raise Harry to sort of replace Lily. We'll see where all of this goes.**

**Anyways, this chapter really is like compressing the first several chapters of Book One down to a single 6800-odd-word chapter. Harry still went to Diagon Alley for his birthday, but they got there a bit earlier and Hagrid (perhaps because of Petunia's presence) had enough tact to keep Harry somewhat "hidden." Some lines are lifted near-directly from the book (primarily Ollivander's lines). And then, of course, for the ending. I did not originally intend for Harry to meet Cedric at this point, but it just sort of happened as I was writing that particular part. However, Harry meeting Tracey, Susan and Anthony was planned before I started really writing this a few weeks back. I chose Susan because I liked her, Anthony because the Ravenclaws in general are under-characterised so I opted for the male option that didn't rhyme with Harry (Terry Boot) and Tracey because of the known Slytherin first years we have the least information about her, but unlike Daphne she's not confirmed to be part of Pansy's gang (and no, there's no information indicating Tracey and Daphne are friends, that's pure fanon, like most everything about them). The fact that all of them are half-bloods, like Harry, works out quite well for my plans but only actually factored into picking Tracey over Daphne, as the other two (especially Susan) were more of a pleasant surprise.**

**With that lengthy note out, I ask everyone to review and tell me what you think! Personally, I really enjoyed this and I hope you all will as well. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts, provided they're not idiotic flame/hate "reviews."**

**Hope to see you soon! And now for my promised rant:**

* * *

**I hold a certain distaste for the movies, primarily the final one, and that distaste often extends to those who base their info too much on the movies while barely glancing at the books. I'll get to my big reason for hating the final movie in a moment.**

**The most important order of business is my pure hatred for Dumbledore- and Weasley-bashing. The way half the fanfiction writers go on, the Weasley family are more evil and pure-blood supremacist than the Malfoys and Dumbledore is the real villain rather than Voldemort. Because, you know, _obviously_ Dumbledore is a Pure-Blood Supremacist, seeing as he's a half-blood and all. _Obviously_ he's raising Harry to be a weapon against Voldemort and doesn't care at all for his safety, that's why he took a gamble to protect Harry and tried to give Harry a normal childhood rather than tell a kid who had precious little happiness that he had to defeat perhaps the most vile dark lord of all time. _Obviously_ Dumbledore was constantly risking Harry's life and tormenting Harry for his own personal gains, that's why he kept running from positions of too much power and took great risks to protect Harry when he could. I will, however, concede that he could've prevented the final events of Book One with a bit more effort.**

**On a less furious note, I also can't help but object to the constant "Snape is a horrible teacher!" rants, because given how well Harry, Neville and Ron apparently did without him breathing down their throats, they were obviously learning something (I will admit though that I did prefer the movies' "stern teacher" image over "bully teacher"). On a halfway related note, I also loathe the number of fics that present Magical Britain as incredibly backwards compared to the rest of the Magical World, as it has long since become apparent to me that this is almost always little more than an excuse to make a different magical country (almost always France due to Fleur) into basically their ideal Magical Country.**

**Finally, I hold a special place in my heart for my hatred of the "Harry becomes serious/gets extra magical training to become a badass!" sub-genre of fics. These often go out of their way to obsessively have Harry be "prepared" to face Voldemort so that he has enough power to defeat his arch-enemy, kind of like what happened in the movie. So, you know, ignore the real secret to Voldemort's defeat in favor of... apparently thinking just like Voldemort where "power is all that matters." Um, wow, yeah, since this is a _great_ idea. _That's_ how it should really be, none of this silly Power of Love nonsense. Lily's sacrifice couldn't have been enough, she must have used a ritual powered by her sacrifice! The great and terrible magic of Love that scars Voldemort who has literally made himself something less than human, twisted and evil, is obviously worthless without something like that!**

**Bull. FUCKING. Shit.**

**One of the core themes of the series was the power of love and friendship and their triumph over evil. You want to take a more cynical view of things, fine, there's plenty of fandoms where that's done, there's no need to completely destroy the message of love and hope inherent to the Harry Potter series because you don't like the idealism.**

**Away from things I so utterly hate, my final bit on my shipping preferences: I do not specifically mind Ginny as Harry's love interest per se as much as I hate the lack of development. There were maybe two hints of it before hand, in the same book, then suddenly we're being bludgeoned over the head with Harry's utter obsession with Ginny. Similarly, Hermione's crush on Ron really came out of nowhere, with the only clues beforehand being the pre-troll comment in Book One (which doesn't really hint at anything because that would crush anyone in Hermione's position without needing a crush) and the whole Yule Ball incident. Now, maybe it's just that Harry is the focus POV, but it still comes out of nowhere.**

**What's especially troubling about it is just how unexplored the ship-tease between Harry and Hermione is. Friendship in Books One and Two, as it should be at their age, but in Book Three there were some early hints (and no, I'm not talking about the hippogryph ride, though that certainly couldn't hurt), and then Book Four put out the possibility of it, the two spent more time together, Harry was at least somewhat flustered by her at the Yule Ball, and a definite dedication to Harry (also, that kiss on the cheek, which received enough attention in the book to put out the possibility). Book Five was also filled with tiny snippets teasing the two and also introduced Luna, who was hardly lacking in that department herself. Then Book Six came and they're almost arbitrarily paired off with Ron and Ginny. It's all kinds of disappointing for me because Ginny's changed entirely off-screen, feels too much like a designated love interest due to how she came through, and you'd think a series where love is a more important theme than friendship would try to at least give that theme the same amount of "screen time."**

**My favoritism towards Luna, in this regard, ties heavily to her seeming to have a _lot_ of chemistry with Harry. Not sure why I feel that way, but I really do.**

**Anyways, that's done. Sorry for the ranting, but this has been building for weeks and I really needed to get it out. Thanks for bearing with me.**


	2. The Sorting Hat's Riddle

**First off, I'd like to apologize for my rant last chapter. I knew people would focus on it too much, but I posted it anyway. It's not totally reflective of how I feel; I acknowledge the flaws of all the characters, but needed to vent my frustration with how many people blew their flaws out of proportion and/or criticized them for having flaws instead of being perfect.**

**Moving on, this chapter was written surprisingly fast. It really flowed, though I might owe some of that to the how closely the second half mirrors canon. This chapter basically covers chapters six and seven of the first book. The results of that should speak for themselves.**

**Hermione, Ron and Neville are all introduced this chapter, some random names get dropped (but will almost certainly not lead to any OCs) and I introduce a single OC in Lily Moon. Her existence is canonical... but that's about all it is. Let's be frank, the same is true of Tracey here: she's really an OC Stand-In no matter where you use her. Anthony is only slightly better, and Susan only slightly better than him. I think Amelia probably got a more fleshed out character than Susan did. Daphne has more info on her than Tracey, but I don't think anyone actually pays attention to that when writing her...**

**Okay, I'm rambling. Let's get on with things!**

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply; the closest I am to "owning" anything in this story is my particular interpretations of the OC Stand-In characters.**

* * *

**HARRY POTTER  
_and the_ SCHOOL _of _WITCHCRAFT _and _WIZARDRY**  
CHAPTER TWO: The Sorting Hat's Riddle

Silence filled the compartment at Harry's introduction, the other three occupants all staring at him. Susan and Anthony looked vaguely in awe, eyes flickering to the sliver of scar just visible behind his bangs, while Tracey stared at him with a disbelieving expression. Blushing slightly, Harry glanced out the window and spotted a family of redheads talking animatedly.

"You're having us on," said Tracey after a moment, causing the other three occupants to stare at her in shock instead. To their surprise, the raven-haired young witch smiled gently. "You don't need to pretend to be famous to become my friend… even if my father thinks making connections is always a good idea."

"I'm not lying," said Harry emphatically, though he was smiling weakly as well. "I really am Harry Potter." This time, Tracey's eyes finally drifted up to his forehead.

"Prove it," she said softly. "I'll think less of you otherwise." That was a surprise to Harry, but he complied, gently brushing his bangs aside to clearly display the distinctive scar. Susan gasped at the sight of it and Anthony whistled very lowly, but Tracey said nothing, merely continuing to stare at Harry.

But after another moment of silence, Tracey said something that really surprised them.

"Thank you," she said.

"What?"

"Thank you… for being born, for… for stopping _him_," said Tracey. "My father married a Muggle, so my family were targets of You-Know-Who's followers. If he hadn't been stopped by you… well, I don't think I'd be here right now."

"Me as well," said Susan suddenly, just as the train lurched and began to move. "Most of my family were killed by him and his followers."

"But… but I don't even remember what happened!" said Harry. "I was just a baby and… and I only found out about it myself a month ago. Aunt Petunia wanted to let me have a normal, quiet life before I got my letter…"

"Actually, I find that to be a huge relief," said Anthony. He smiled lazily. "Honestly, when I heard your name, I really wasn't certain how to talk to you."

"There are all sorts of books written about you," said Tracey. She looked at Susan and Anthony. "I think we've all been raised on stories about you. It's part of why I didn't initially believe you about who you were—I was expecting someone different."

"Different how?" asked Harry. Tracey shrugged.

"Arrogant. Conceited. A jock-type bully. Take your pick." Harry stared at her in disbelief.

"I'm guessing you didn't look into any books about yourself," said Anthony. "The way some of those books go, you've been fighting the Dark Arts since you vanished from the wizarding world."

"And everyone figured you'd know all about what you did as a baby," said Susan helpfully. "You've got to admit, you'd expect that to give someone a swelled head."

"Well, I can happily assure you that's not the case," said Harry. "Besides… who wants to be famous for that? It sounds like a lot of people ignore the fact that my mum and dad died too…"

He was surprised to see Anthony and Tracey looking rather ashamed of themselves.

"I think a lot of people did," said Susan softly. "My aunt used to talk about them though. They were apparently good friends with some of her co-workers during the war."

"Can you tell me anything about them?" asked Harry eagerly. "Aunt Petunia talks about mum from time to time, but she doesn't know a lot about after she got her letter and didn't know my dad at all." To his disappointment, though, Susan shook her head.

"Aunty Amelia didn't know them herself," she said. "Sorry, I wish I could tell you more, but all I know is that they were very talented."

"I gathered that my mum was really good at potions and charms," said Harry. "I've been studying for those two especially, though I haven't really tried anything."

"Well, do you want to try some now?" asked Anthony, eager now at the prospect of trying out magic and also grateful to be away from the subject of Harry's parents. Harry shrugged uncomfortably.

"I've only studied a few simple charms," he said. "The first-year unlocking spell and the light charm."

"_Alohomora_ and _Lumos_?" questioned Anthony. Harry nodded slightly.

"Funny, I would've thought you'd be more enthused by Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Tracey. "I know that's the one I'm eager to study." Harry's only response was a shrug.

"I think we can throw out all the books on Harry," said Susan with a slight smile. "Of course, I think I've only got one. How about you two?"

"None, but I think my parents might have a library of them," said Anthony with a straight face, only to burst out laughing at the slightly queasy expression Harry had donned in response to that. Tracey, meanwhile, mumbled something Harry didn't catch, but whatever it was had set Susan into a fit of suppressed giggling.

After that, conversation died down, Harry and Tracey staring out the window at the countryside now passing by while Susan, with a little help from Anthony, retrieved her Herbology textbook, with Anthony soon after grabbing his own Charms textbook. The silence though was surprisingly comfortable.

Eventually, the silence was broken by the arrival of the snack trolley. Harry found himself intrigued by the assortment of unusual treats and wound up buying a little of everything, figuring he could share it with his companions if it proved too much.

"I didn't really think about how long this trip might be," said Harry idly as he studied the chocolate frogs.

"Mum said it was about eight hours," said Anthony.

"I probably should've brought some food with me," said Harry.

"You and me both," groaned Tracey. "Mum's very critical of sweets so I try not to eat too many."

"What's your family like?" asked Harry, curious to know what it was like to grow up in the magical world. Tracey shrugged.

"Well, like I said, dad's a wizard and works for the Ministry," she said. "As for mum, she didn't want to rely completely on him and he fell in love with her brains, so he encouraged her to work. She got a law degree. And so help me, if any of you make an evil lawyer joke, I _will_ hex you, whether I know the appropriate magic or not."

"Evil lawyer joke?" questioned Susan. The others stared at her and she looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I'm guessing this is something in the Muggle world, I don't even know what a lawyer is. My mum was Muggle-born, but I was raised by my aunt and don't really know about the other world."

_That's a curious way to look at things_, thought Harry.

The four then began swapping stories about their home lives; Harry, of course, had grown up completely in the Muggle world. Tracey had managed to grow up in both worlds, given her a unique view and understanding of where each was flawed, confessing to her burning desire to fix those flaws. Anthony, while growing up in the wizarding world, had a general understanding of the Muggle world and how it worked, his father being Muggle-born and his mother a half-blood. Susan, while a half-blood herself, had been raised in a pure-blood household.

Susan, Anthony and Tracey had taken it in turns to explain the nature of blood status, including that most people were half-bloods, using the group in the compartment as an example—the odds of four complete strangers who met on a train all being half-blood would seem staggering otherwise.

"As a general rule, pure-bloods insist that there's absolutely no Muggles or squibs—the inverse of Muggle-borns—anywhere in their families," said Tracey.

"That's not really true though," added Anthony. "They're mostly delusional elitists." Susan nodded in agreement.

"By the actual definition, you're considered pure-blood if all your grandparents were magical, even if you have a Muggle great-grandparent," she said. "Aunty Amelia and my dad were considered pure-bloods, but their paternal grandmother and maternal grandparents were all Muggle-borns. However, there's no actual legal recognition of blood status, which is unfortunate because it allows discrimination to breed. Aunty Amelia's been trying to change that, but getting support for it in the Wizengamot is hard."

"Makes sense," said Tracey. She snorted in disdain. "Even the less bigoted individuals would have to acknowledge their bigotry if they did. Without legal recognition, they can deny caring about blood purity, while allowing the bigots free reign since there's no acknowledgement that it even exists and so no laws can be put in place to protect from bigotry towards or from anyone based on blood status."

The other three were staring at her again. This time, Tracey replied with a confident smirk and a shrug.

"I told you already: my mum's a lawyer." Harry and Anthony couldn't help but chuckle at that.

The four continued to chat amicably about a range of topics, from their home lives to the subjects they were most interested in to the spells they'd studied and thought they might be able to cast already.

They were eventually interrupted by the compartment door sliding open. Standing in the doorway was a girl in Hogwarts robes with bushy brown hair and large front teeth. Behind her stood a round-faced boy with short blond hair, looking utterly miserable.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," said the girl. Tracey had a scowl on her face and Harry didn't entirely blame her given the bossy tone of the brunette.

"No, we haven't," said Anthony.

"You shouldn't worry though," said Harry. "I'm sure he'll turn up." The boy, Neville, nodded somewhat miserably while the girl glanced between the four occupants of the compartment.

"Are you all first years as well?" she asked. When she got a nod in reply, she went on. "I see. Nobody in my family's magic at all and it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard—I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough—I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all of this so fast that Harry barely understood it. He glanced around and saw Anthony eyeing the girl with a slightly intrigued expression, while Susan and Tracey were both scowling slightly.

"I'm Harry Potter," he said. Anthony was just opening his mouth to supply his own name when Hermione started again.

"Are you really? I know all about you, of course—I got a few extra books for background reading and you're in _Modern Magical History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

Harry felt a bit ill at that.

"Harry doesn't care for all of that," said Tracey darkly. Harry was now certain that Tracey did not like Hermione at all.

"Really?" asked Hermione. "If it was me, I'd be very flattered and I'd want to know everything. Do any of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around and I hope I'm in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, they sound by far the best and I heard Dumbledore himself was in Gryffindor—anyway, we better go and look for Neville's toad." With that, Hermione brushed past Neville, leaving the quartet in peace. Neville threw them a weak, apologetic smile before departing as well, closing the compartment door for them.

"Wow…" muttered Susan, shaking her head. "Does she ever stop talking?"

"Didn't look like it," said Tracey. "I'm not sorry to see her gone. I hope whatever house I'm in she's as far away as possible."

"Speaking of houses, where do you all want to be?" asked Anthony. "My mum was in Hufflepuff and my dad was in Ravenclaw, so I'd like to be in one of those two."

"My whole family's been in Hufflepuff, so I expect I'll be there as well," said Susan. "I'm told families usually all end up in the same house."

"My dad was Slytherin," said Tracey, somewhat sullenly. "I'm not sure I want to be in the same house You-Know-Who was though."

"My mum's best friend was apparently a Slytherin," said Harry. This once again drew looks of surprise, though Harry had no idea why that might be. "Besides, I think Anthony was asking where you'd like to be."

"Definitely Hufflepuff," said Susan.

"I guess… Ravenclaw or Slytherin," said Tracey. "I know being in Slytherin would make my dad happy. What about you, Harry?" The raven-haired boy shrugged.

"I'm not really sure," he said. "I don't know a lot about them. My parents were in Gryffindor though, but I really don't care too much. I just want to make friends."

The others shared a brief look before all turning back to Harry with smiles.

"You've got them now, Harry," said Susan.

"That's right mate, if you don't mind of course," said Anthony.

"No, even if you do mind," said Tracey emphatically. "I can't speak for Susan or Anthony, but Harry? I'll definitely be your friend, like it or not."

Touched, Harry could do little more than smile in thanks.

* * *

Hermione Granger was feeling increasingly unsettled as she helped Neville search for his toad, Trevor. It wasn't anything wrong with searching for the boy's pet, in fact she was happy to help, but as she interacted with more and more people on the train, especially those in her own age group, she felt more and more like she was back in her old school.

She wasn't subject to bullying, despite her vaguely nerdy appearance and obsession with books and learning, but she was certainly isolated. While she'd had something resembling friends when she was younger—a time when being smart was more popular than appearances or finances or much else besides sports—she certainly didn't have any now.

When she'd learned of magic, though, she thought she'd found somewhere to belong, but with increasing trepidation, she realized that people in the magical world weren't more like her. They were no different from her old school, except for the magic of course. Didn't mean she wasn't still eager to devour all the knowledge she could, but it did feel like little would change besides the subjects.

With that feeling clouding her thoughts, she and Neville arrived at a compartment where a red-haired boy was arguing animatedly with a black boy.

* * *

Back with Harry and his new friends, the group had turned away from the subject of houses and instead related their experiences in Diagon Alley. The other three snickered slightly as Harry described Petunia's repeated tongue-lashings directed at nearly anyone who toed over some invisible line related to Harry's mother, and they were all amazed to learn of his difficulty finding a wand.

"At least a quarter hour and several dozen wands?" questioned Tracey. "Mr. Ollivander found a match for me in about two minutes. I didn't even try ten wands."

"He got me on the second try," said Susan ruefully. Then, in her best imitation of Mr. Ollivander, she spoke, "Seven-and-three-quarter inches, yew, unicorn hair with just a touch of give. An excellent wand for charms, Miss Bones." The other three laughed.

"It was about three minutes for me," said Anthony, "and I didn't count how many we tried." He pulled out the wand. "Nine inches, willow, dragon heartstring. A bit springy, but I haven't really noticed." Tracey giggled.

"Twelve-and-a-quarter inches, willow, phoenix tail feather, good for defensive magic," she supplied. "How about you Harry?" Harry cleared his throat and, like Susan, did his best to mimic the wandmaker.

"A tricky customer, _very_ tricky. Can't remember the last time I had one like you. Here, holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple." It was Susan's turn to giggle.

"I feel a bit bad for mocking Mr. Ollivander like that," said Anthony. Harry shrugged.

"I don't know… he made me a bit uncomfortable, the way he examined me and talked about Voldemort." Harry was surprised when his friends all flinched just slightly. "What?"

"You… you…" stuttered Anthony.

"You used his name," muttered Susan in awe.

"Yeah… so? Why wouldn't I?" asked Harry. "He's gone… powerless either way and Aunt Petunia uses his name. I don't see why I should be afraid of it. It's just a name after all."

"Maybe, but I heard that he didn't even let his followers use it," said Tracey, sounding just as awed as Susan. "He became enraged at those who did after awhile. I think only Dumbledore used it, and everyone knows that You-Know-Who was scared of him."

"Even Aunt Amelia won't say it," said Susan.

"It's… it's sort of like that Muggle saying," said Anthony. "Speak of the devil… you know?" Harry nodded slightly in response, turning to Anthony… at which point he spotted two students who'd been peering into their compartment suddenly bolt away. Tracey noticed where he was suddenly staring and snorted.

"Ignore them," she said. "People have been passing for awhile and gawking. Looks like people have figured out who's in this car now." Harry shifted uncomfortably and Tracey reached across to grasp his hand. "Don't worry about it too much. Just keep ignoring them. Not like anyone's actually invaded our compartment over it."

As soon as she said that, the door slid open and a blond boy (who, after a moment, Harry recalled passing on his way out of Madam Malkin's) flanked by two very large, brutish looking boys stepped inside. Tracey groaned.

"Me and my big mouth," she muttered.

"Is it true?" said the newcomer. "They're saying all up and down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment." Perhaps because he was fed up with it all, Harry decided to get a bit snarky, throwing a quick glance at Tracey, somehow knowing he could count on her to be an ally.

"Why is everyone so interested in Harry Potter?" he asked. Susan and Anthony stared at him in confusion, while Tracey barely concealed a sudden smirk. "Is this some big wizard thing? If so, I'd like to know what the big deal is. I mean, I only found out about magic when I got my letter." The blond's face suddenly took on a mask of disgust as he looked at Harry. "Tracey, do you know what's the big deal?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry we didn't explain to you," said the raven-haired witch. She even sounded sincere instead of snarky. "I thought everyone knew, even Muggle-borns. I mean, Harry Potter is who all the boys want to be and who all the girls want to be with. He's just so wonderful, famous, rich and he's supposed to be ruggedly handsome too. Everyone knows that the way to secure a good future is to curry favor with Harry Potter. On the other hand, I know perfectly well that he's a very nice boy, smart and would rather not deal with all the rabid followers. But I think he might accept some help from a friend in dealing with fanboy wannabes. So Harry, would you like me to remove our unwelcome visitors?"

"I trust your judgment," said Harry, deliberately brushing his bangs aside just enough to reveal the scar he know knew to be the tell-tale sign of his identity. "If you think they're fanboy wannabes, then please, by all means." Harry could see Anthony and Susan struggling to choke back their laughter, but Tracey somehow remained straight-faced and innocent.

"So you _are_ him," interjected the intruder. He sniffed disdainfully. "But you're clearly not so well educated as one would hope. I'm Draco Malfoy, and I had merely thought I'd do you a favor, helping you with regards to knowing who to associate with."

"Oh, I think I quite like my current 'associates'," said Harry brightly. "I mean, Tracey here may well be the smartest girl I've ever met, Anthony is obviously quite brilliant himself, and Susan is not only smart but her aunt is a highly-placed government official." Harry peered pointedly at Malfoy's companions. "Certainly _I_ wouldn't want to be seen associating with the sort of people you are."

All three intruders were turning red-faced.

"You…" started Malfoy before Tracey was suddenly in his face.

"Okay, Harry's had his fun," she said with a wicked smirk. "Now I have to make good on my offer. My judgment is that you three are, at best, fanboy wannabes or, at worst, idiots who think yourselves intelligent enough to turn Harry into your fame puppy. As a concerned friend, I'm obligated to vacate you. Now, move along." She then gave Malfoy a one-handed shove that sent him colliding with his companions, who lost their balance and sent all three sprawling into the corridor. "Have a nice day!" called Tracey sweetly before closing the compartment door and casually returning to her seat.

At that point, everyone else lost control and her friends burst out laughing.

"That was _brilliant_," said Anthony.

"Not trying to hex him became a lot harder after learning who he was," said Tracey darkly. "The Malfoys were supporters of You-Know-Who, everyone knows it, but there's no solid evidence and they were able to bribe the right people."

"Knowing it was a Malfoy made what you did that much better," said Susan, still grinning broadly. "Though I know how you feel. It's one of the few things that makes Aunty Amelia wish Crouch had fulfilled his ambition to become minister, since she's certain he wouldn't have been so easily bribed."

"Crouch?" asked Harry.

"Ah, right," said Susan. "Bartemius Crouch. He's the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Used to be head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, with plans to become minister, but something happened that nearly destroyed his career close to a decade ago, he switched departments, and Aunty Amelia took over the DMLE."

"Could you tell me more about the Ministry?" asked Harry, rather intrigued by the subject of a magical government. Susan smiled.

"Of course," she said. "I'd be happy too."

They spent the rest of the train ride with Susan offering up all sorts of info on the Ministry, with Anthony and Tracey occasionally interjecting with some information of their own (Tracey especially had some interesting views, since her lawyer mother apparently studied the Ministry herself). None of them ever thought to check and see what happened with Malfoy and his cronies, and eventually they heard the announcement that they'd be arriving soon. Harry and Anthony stepped out of the compartment to let the girls don their uniforms, then the two groups switched. They were all changed just in time for the train to start slowing down.

After the train came to a complete stop, the four piled out of their compartment (leaving their trunks behind as they'd been told they were to be brought in separately), and emerged into a sea of students at Hogsmeade station. Harry shivered slightly from the chill of the September night air this far north.

"Firs' years!" came a familiar voice. Harry followed it to a lantern bobbing over the heads of the students. "Firs' years over here!" Harry and his three friends managed to push their way through the crowd to Hagrid. "Alright there Harry?" asked the giant, beaming behind his beard. "Any more firs' years? C'mon then, follow me. Mind yer step now! Fir' years follow me!"

Hagrid proceeded to lead the more than three dozen students down a steep, narrow path. No one spoke as he did so, but that may have had something to do with the fact that they were almost all shivering just slightly—the train had, after all, been pretty warm compared to the temperature they were feeling now.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec, jus' round this bend here," called Hagrid.

Then, the narrow path opened onto the edge of a great black lake. There were gasps and coos of awe at the sight that greeted them when it did.

There, standing atop a great cliff across the lake, was an enormous castle, turrets reaching high to the sky and lights twinkling from windows all across the great structure. Perhaps to someone older it would not have been so grand, but to the eleven-year-olds Hagrid was escorting? It was a sight nearly beyond belief.

"Yup," said Hagrid, smiling pleasantly. "Really somethin', hm? But best we be getting' along." He began walking forward, motioning to what must've been more than two dozen small boats tied to several piers. "No more'n four to a boat!"

Harry and Tracey led the way into one boat, with Susan and Anthony clambering in right behind them.

"Everyone in?" called Hagrid, settled into a boat by himself. "Right then—FORWARD!" And with that, the boats all came untied from the piers and launched, moving smoothly across the glass-like surface of the lake. Harry glanced briefly at the stars overhead before focusing his attention back on the castle at the north end of the lake quickly growing in size.

Harry began to make out more details as they approached. Five towers stretched above the rest of the castle, a central tower and then one in each compass direction. As they got closer, Harry became increasingly awed by the sheer size of the ancient structure.

"Watch yer heads," called Hagrid as they reached the wall of the cliff the castle sat atop. The fleet of boats slid into a cave that could barely be seen in the dark, the mouth covered by hanging ivy.

They continued on through a dark tunnel directly beneath the castle before arriving at another harbor. The boats sidled up to the piers and ropes shot out to tie the boats in place. The students quickly exited the boats, Hagrid holding back to make sure everyone was accounted for.

"Oy, anyone missin' a toad?" called Hagrid.

"Trevor!" cried Neville, rushing over. "Thank you sir, he's been missing since I got on the platform." Hagrid chuckled.

"Must be a smart sort o' toad," he said as he moved back to lead the new students up a flight of stone steps to a massive oak door. Looking over the group one last time, he gave a small nod, smiled at them, then turned and raised a giant fist to knock on the door three times.

Within seconds, the door swung open to reveal a black-haired witch with emerald robes. Her sharp facial features were adorned by two things: a set of wire-rim glasses and a stern expression. Harry immediately decided that he'd regret it if he ever crossed this woman.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall."

"Thank you, Hagrid," she replied. "I shall take them from here."

McGonagall led them up several more flights of stairs before they arrived at a huge entrance hall in which you could've easily fit Harry's whole house with room to spare. Another set of oak doors, significantly larger than the ones from before, stood to one side and hundreds of voices could be heard through them. McGonagall, however, led them across the hall, past a grand marble staircase and into a side chamber.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."

Something in her tone made Harry suspect she'd recited this speech more times than she cared to remember.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered on a few students in particular for a moment before she turned to leave, at which point the room burst into furious whispers.

"How exactly is the Sorting Ceremony conducted?" asked Harry. His friends shrugged.

"Dad says it's nothing difficult, but he wouldn't say anything further," said Tracey.

"Aunt Amelia thinks it works best if we don't know in advance," added Susan.

"That's more than I ever heard," commented Anthony. "My mum and dad kept throwing around blatantly false stories of their Sorting. Even if the story of wrestling a troll weren't absurd, the number of different stories was a dead giveaway." Harry nodded thoughtfully, listening to the others. One boy did actually report that his brothers told him about wrestling a troll as well, while a bossy voice he recognized as Hermione's quietly recited different spells.

After a brief visit from a group of ghosts discussing a poltergeist named Peeves, McGonagall returned.

"Form a line and follow me," she said sharply. "The Ceremony is about to begin."

Feeling increasingly nervous, Harry got in line between Tracey and Anthony, with Susan behind Tracey as they were led back across the entrance hall and through the double doors into the Great Hall.

It was a spectacle quite unlike anything Harry had ever seen—the massive chamber was lit by thousands and thousands of candles floating above four long tables. The ceiling overhead displayed a gorgeous starry sky and, for a few seconds, Harry though the Great Hall might be open-roofed before realizing that would be silly given weather changes. He heard Hermione whispering to someone about the ceiling being enchanted to look like the open sky. At the far end of the hall was a fifth long table where the staff were seated, and it was up to here that McGonagall led them.

McGonagall then silently set a four-legged stool in front of them and placed a shabby pointed wizard's hat on top of it. Harry found himself wondering what role the hat might play in the Sorting.

Silence fell over the hall for a few seconds before a rip near the brim of the hat opened wide like a mouth and a song filled the air.

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffinder,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables before stilling again, waiting to begin the Sorting. Harry overheard a boy muttering that he was going to kill his brother for the troll story.

"I really hope it does see enough," whispered Susan.

"Yeah," said Anthony weakly, just barely overhearing her. "Right now, I'm just a bundle of nerves."

Professor McGonagall stepped forward then, holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. She then unrolled the parchment and glanced at the list. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A brightly blushing girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, walked to the stool nervously and donned the hat, settling down on the stool as she did so.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat after a moments pause. The table directly to Harry's right burst into applause as Hannah took off the hat, hopping off the stool and replacing the hat, then running to the Hufflepuff table, blushing the whole time.

"Bones, Susan!"

"Good luck," whispered Tracey as Susan stepped out of line. She gave her friends a weak smile, which they returned, before walking up to don the hat. She sat there for about twenty seconds before the hat made its decision.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" Susan rushed to the table but, rather than taking the open seat next to Hannah, managed to seat herself near where her friends still stood in line.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table on their left cheered this time, with several Ravenclaws greeting Terry enthusiastically as he joined them, quickly followed by Mandy Brocklehurst.

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

This time it was the table on the far left, and Harry saw two redheaded boys catcalling as the embarrassed young blonde took her seat. He could practically feel Tracey scowling behind him.

"Bulstrode, Millicent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

The last table, on the far right, burst into applause as the tall, bulky girl—quite probably the biggest of all the first year students—made her way to the table. Taking a bit of extra interest in the reputedly dark house, Harry noted that quite a few Slytherins had an unpleasant look about their postures, though he saw one boy smiling kindly at Millicent and greeting her politely as she sat down.

The next two students, Michael Corner and Stephen Cornfoot, went to Ravenclaw. And then…

"Crabbe, Vincent!" Harry focused on this one, recognizing Crabbe as one of the two boys that had accompanied Malfoy.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Was the boy all that cunning? Harry wondered, but then all his attention was stolen.

"Davis, Tracey!"

"Good luck," whispered Harry and Susan, who they were still standing next to. The raven-haired girl managed to maintain her confidence, but Harry could see a hint of nervousness in her blue eyes as she passed him.

The hat was on her head for over a minute before coming to a decision.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry saw Crabbe's face light up gleefully at that, no doubt hoping for a chance to get even for the incident on the train. Tracey threw him a disdainful glance before pointedly sitting near some of the nicer-looking Slytherins.

Another three students—Kevin Entwhistle (RAVENCLAW!), Justin Finch-Fletchley (HUFFLEPUFF!) and Seamus Finnigan (GRYFFINDOR!)—were sorted before the last of Harry's friends was called, with them now standing a bit too far from Susan for her to wish him luck.

With a weak smile towards Harry, Anthony replied to his name, donning the Sorting Hat. He wore it for maybe twenty seconds before a decision came.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Like Susan, Anthony sat as close to where Harry was standing as he could.

"Goyle, Gregory!" The second of Malfoy's companions stepped forward now. The hat barely touched his head before declaring,

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

The bushy-haired brunette practically ran to the stool and jammed the hat on her head with such enthusiasm that Harry was almost surprised it didn't rip.

"GRYFFINDOR!" Harry heard a familiar voice groan as the hat made that declaration after thirty seconds or so and Hermione practically ran to sit down next to Lavender and the other first years.

"Greengrass, Daphne!" Harry blinked in surprise as the blonde girl he met in Madam Malkin's stepped forward, her whole demeanor oozing confidence. But when she turned around and put the hat on her head, Harry caught the briefest flash of uncertainty from her eyes.

"SLYTHERIN!" cried the hat after only a few seconds. Daphne sat down next to Millicent.

The next five students, Gibson Hall, Wayne Hopkins, Ethelda Jackson, Archibald James and Megan Jones all went to Hufflepuff, the students of which were looking positively gleeful at that, before the "streak" was suddenly broken when Berenice King was sorted into Slytherin, followed by Sue Li being placed in Ravenclaw.

"Longbottom, Neville!"

The round-faced toad-losing boy walked forward nervously. To Harry's surprise, the hat took nearly two minutes to come to a decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville's relief was obvious, if only from the fact that he was apparently so relieved he forgot to remove the hat, earning a round of laughter from the hall as he dashed back to give the hat to Morag MacDougal. She was promptly sorted into Ravenclaw, and made a point of not forgetting the hat was on her head.

Ernie MacMillan and Roger Malone both went to Hufflepuff before Draco Malfoy was called forward. He swaggered and strutted as if he owned the place, increasing Harry's dislike for the blond git.

"SLYTHERIN!" shouted the hat before it was even fully on Malfoy's head. Arrogant strut still in place, he went to sit with Crabbe and Goyle.

There weren't many students left, and Harry's nervousness started to turn the whole thing into a bit of a speedy blur as Lily Moon went to Gryffindor, then Theodore Nott to Slytherin. The twins he encountered in Ollivander's though, Padma and Parvati Patil, were surprisingly sorted into separate houses, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor respectively. Pansy Parkinson then went to Slytherin, followed by Sally-Anne Perks to Hufflepuff, leaving only five students in line.

"Potter, Harry," called McGonagall, her voice a bit softer than normal. The whole hall fell so quiet that you could've heard a pin drop, before bursting into whispers as Harry stepped forward.

"Potter, did she say?"

"_The_ Harry Potter?"

But then, as if to allay his nervousness, all three of his friends called out, their voices easily carrying over the whispers and silencing them.

"Good luck Harry!"

As Harry sat on the stool and slid the hat on his head, he thought he saw McGonagall's lips twitch into a small smile, and he _definitely_ saw people leaning forward to get a better look at him before his vision was covered by the hat interior.

"Oh, interesting," whispered a voice in his ear. "Very interesting indeed. Oh, _yes_, how I look forward to days like today, how I enjoy sitting on the head of such a one as _you_, Harry Potter. I see it all, all in your head, all in your heart and let me assure you that true friends you have found, and _oh_, such a mind, _such. A. MIND!_ Such great courage, such a brilliant mind, so much talent and loyalty, cunning, oh _yes_, and a thirst, definitely a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you, hmm?"

Harry gripped the stool uncertainly.

"Ravenclaw would suit one of your intellect, but oh, this loyalty to your newfound friends already, Hufflepuff would adore you and certainly Slytherin would help you on your way to greatness, there's no doubt about that, but… oh, yes, I see it, I know where to put you, it could not be otherwise, now could it? I can see it now, it would not matter what anyone, what I or even destiny could say to you, nothing could change where you will go."

_What do you mean?_ thought Harry.

"Oh, you will know one day, Harry… one day… it is so rare to see one such as you and now… oh, now… three times in one century, perhaps one day you will know the other like you. Think on this though, Harry, think on this… contemplate the truth and try to puzzle out… the Secret of the Sorting Hat… and I leave you with this riddle to consider, to think on, to drive you as you make way through this greatest of schools following _her_ as a member of… GRYFFINDOR!"

This last word only was cried for the whole hall to hear. As Harry removed the hat and stood up with a small smile, he thought he saw a smile on McGonagall's lips before he made his way to the Gryffindor table, largely ignoring the loud and enthusiastic cheers he received and the cries of "WE GOT POTTER! WE GOT POTTER!" Harry opted to sit down next to Neville and across from Hermione, throwing the round-faced boy a friendly smile before turning his attention to the last four students.

"Thomas, Dean!" called McGonagall when the cheers finally came to a stop.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Turpin, Lisa!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Weasley, Ronald!" The freckled redhead whom Harry vaguely realized was the one who'd talked about wrestling a troll walked forward, looking extremely pale as he did so. To the surprise of all the first and second years—but oddly, none of the staff or older students—the hat spoke audibly this time.

"Hah!" cried the hat. "Another Weasley! GRYFFINDOR!" This drew a scowl from Hermione and laughter from many of the older students before one of them turned to the first year Gryffindors to explain as Ron sat down.

"Two years ago the hat got tired of all the Weasleys," he said. "It had two that year and started complaining about them making a farce of the Sorting because the whole family belongs in Gryffindor, and only those two could've gone anywhere else."

"Don't remind us of how it wanted to put us in Slytherin," groaned one of the redheaded twins.

"SLYTHERIN!"

Harry's attention turned back to the Sorting as Blaise Zabini joined the Slytherin table. McGonagall rolled up her scroll before picking up the hat and stool and leaving through a door behind the staff table, reemerging quickly. Looking at the table, Harry recognized Albus Dumbledore seated at the center, remembering him from a chocolate frog card he'd gotten on the train.

Dumbledore stood to his feet, beaming at the students and with arms spread wide.

"Welcome!" he called. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down as everybody clapped, and Harry wasn't sure if he should laugh or not.

"Is he a bit… mad?" asked Harry uncertainly.

"Mad?!" demanded Ron Weasley like it was Harry who was insane. "He's a genius! …But, okay, I guess he probably is a bit off his rocker." Harry realized that Ron was piling food on his plate and looked forward in shock as he realized that the platters had all filled with food.

Suddenly realizing how hungry he was, Harry quickly piled food on his plate as everyone else started chatting, idly noticing that Hermione and Neville were both fairly quiet.

"Say Harry, why were those students wishing you luck when you were sorted?" asked Dean.

"Oh, right," said Harry, nodding towards the other tables. "Tracey, Susan and Anthony are my friends."

"Tracey Davis?" questioned Ron, his fork stopping halfway to his mouth. "But didn't she just go to Slytherin?"

"So?" asked Harry with a raised brow. "Are you one of those people who think everyone in Slytherin is bad?" Those around Harry had quieted somewhat at that.

"But… but You-Know-Who was in Slytherin!" whispered Ron, ears tingeing slightly red.

"Yes… and so was my mum's best friend," said Harry quietly. "And so is mine." That seemed to surprise quite a few people, but most seemed to accept it, including Ron.

"Well… okay then," he said. "I guess I can't fault you for whoever you want to be friends with and I guess it doesn't sound like they're all bad." Hermione looked surprised by that, but she didn't say anything.

"Who are your other friends?" asked Lily Moon, leaning across the table towards him. Harry noticed that quite a few people seemed to be doing that.

"Anthony Goldstein and Susan Bones," said Harry lightly. "Oh, and Cedric Diggory too."

"Cedric?" questioned a second year girl with shoulder-length black hair, leaning closer. "He's that handsome third year in Hufflepuff, right?" Harry shrugged.

"Guess so," he said, a bit uncomfortably. The girl blushed a bit.

"Right, sorry, I guess you wouldn't know every detail," she said. "I'm Katie Bell, by the way."

"Nice to meet you."

Conversation died at that point as everyone focused on stuffing themselves. Eventually, everyone had had their fill and the feast was replaced by dessert, at which point conversation restarted on the subject of families.

"I'm half and half," said Seamus Finnigan. "Dad's a Muggle, mum's a witch—bit of a nasty shock for him when he found. He keeps telling stories of it—she apparently told him when he proposed." Everyone shared a good natured laugh at this.

"I'm the same, but my whole family was shocked," said Dean. "My dad disappeared before I was born and I get it from him." He chuckled. "We thought the letter was a prank at first, but then one of the teachers came and apologized for the mix-up, since they didn't realize none of us knew about magic."

"I thought my letter was a prank too," said Harry. "Aunt Petunia didn't say anything about my parents being magic until I got it. She asked for a staff member to help us buy school supplies." Harry nodded towards the staff table. "They sent Hagrid—I think me and Dudley nearly had to sew our jaws back in place when a giant stepped into the kitchen." That drew some more laughs, as everyone else started to fill in their own experiences.

Ron, Lavender and Neville were all pure-bloods, though Neville related how his family had thought he was a squib for ages before his Great Uncle Algie showed his failing memory by accidentally letting go of Neville while hanging him out a window trying to scare magic out of him. Harry, Hermione and Lily were all horrified by this, but Neville kept trying to reassure them that it was never anything truly life-threatening before that incident, which was (almost) entirely accidental. That only placated them a bit.

Parvati Patil was a half-blood, with both of her parents being the same—her grandparents were two Muggle-borns, a pure-blood and a Muggle.

Lily, like Hermione, turned out to be Muggle-born, but Harry decided he liked Lily better than Hermione since she wasn't as bossy or obnoxious. Still, Harry felt like he, Dean, Lily and Hermione could all be good friends based on their Muggle upbringings. Or at least he really hoped that would be the case.

Harry glanced up at the staff table, taking a moment to study the teachers. There were more than a dozen people seated at the table, certainly more than would be necessary for the seven subjects he'd apparently be learning, but then again there were a _lot_ of students…

It was as Harry noticed a teacher with an absurd turban talking to a greasy-haired, hook-nosed teacher that a burning pain suddenly flashed through his scar. Nothing severe, but he winced slightly, reaching up to rub his forehead.

"Something wrong Harry?" asked Parvati.

"N-no, nothing," said Harry quickly, before catching Katie Bell's attention. "Who are those two?"

"Oh…" muttered Katie. "The one in the turban is Professor Quirrell. I don't know him, but he apparently used to teach Muggle Studies and has now transferred to Defense Against the Dark Arts. The other one is Professor Snape, who teaches Potions. He's head of Slytherin, blatantly favors them and is generally unpleasant, but I've got to admit that he really knows what he's doing when it comes to brewing."

Harry nodded slightly, still staring at Snape and Quirrell when the hook-nosed man's eyes suddenly flickered, locking for the briefest of seconds with Harry's own before he refocused on Quirrell.

After the desserts finally disappeared, Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell silent. The headmaster cleared his throat.

"Just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed towards the Gryffindor table. Harry quickly followed his gaze and realized that he was staring at the very least in the vicinity of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death." No one really reacted to this, leaving Harry with the impression that such odd announcements were not necessarily uncommon.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!"

Dumbledore waved his wand and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, rising high above the tables and twisting itself, snakelike, into words.

After a somewhat lengthy, incredibly off-key performance with nearly everyone singing to different tunes, Dumbledore waved his wand and the ribbon disappeared.

"Ah, music! Truly there are few magics greater! But now the hour is late—off you trot."

With that, students began to rise from the tables. Another freckled redhead—who Ron quickly identified as his brother Percy, a fifth year prefect—called the first year Gryffindors, instructing them to follow him to the Gryffindor common room.

As they crossed the entrance hall, Harry spotted the Slytherins being led down a flight of stairs and just managed to catch Tracey's eye, throwing her a quick wave. Smiling, Tracey returned the wave before following her housemates down the stairs. Harry then spotted the Hufflepuff students going down another set of stairs located next to the marble staircase, but didn't catch sight of Susan.

However, when Percy led them up the marble staircase, they were joined by the Ravenclaws, being led by a witch with long, curly blonde hair, giving Harry a chance to talk to Anthony.

"How is it?" asked Harry.

"Pretty much like I hoped," said Anthony with a slight smile. "I think I'll fit in well. How about you?"

"Everyone's nice," said Harry. "I think I'll get along well with Dean. He's a fan of football, you know."

"Football?"

Harry chuckled slightly and mouthed "Later" at Anthony as the two groups separated.

"Be sure to watch the stairs," said Percy. "There are trick steps and they like to change. The castle can be a bit overwhelming at first, so I suggest you ask your upperclassmen for help getting around."

By the time they reached the seventh floor, most of them felt like their legs were made of lead. With a slight wince, Harry decided living here would at least make for good exercise.

On the seventh floor, Percy led them down a corridor to a painting of a fat woman in a silk pink dress.

"Password?" she asked.

"Caput Draconis," replied Percy. With a nod from the woman, the portrait swung forward. Percy marched them through the new opening and into a large, cozy common room with a warm fire burning on one side and more candles floating in the air and a few torches along the walls. Across from them were two more sets of staircases.

"The girls' dormitories are up these stairs and the boys' dormitories are up here," said Percy. "Your belongings will have already been moved up here and you'll find your names next to the door for your assigned room. Also, I should warn you that the girls' dormitory is warded so the stairs turn into a slide if any boys try to get up there. If you like, you're welcome to stay up a little longer, but don't leave the common room tonight and I do advise you all to get to bed early—classes start tomorrow."

With a final nod, Percy then ascended the stairs, evidently leaving them a chance to say goodnight. All of them were exhausted though, so they trudged to the dormitory stairs.

"Good night Harry," called Lavender sweetly. Harry was too tired to do more than wave, and the blonde evidently too tired to respond to that.

The boys passed several doors before they arrived at one with their names written next to it and they stepped inside to find five four-poster beds hung with velvet curtains. Their trunks were already set next to each of the beds. Exhausted as they were, they changed into their pajamas and collapsed into bed.

"Great food, huh?" muttered Ron. "Get _off_ Scabbers, stop chewing the sheets." Harry glanced over and saw a rat on Ron's bed, resolving to ask about it in the morning before he simply passed out.

Harry's dream that night was pleasant: he dreamt of the Great Hall, almost empty, but with a birthday cake sitting in front of him. Surrounding him were his parents, aunt and cousin, as well as Hagrid, Anthony, Susan, Hermione, Lily and Dean. Next to Harry was Tracey, leaning against him slightly, hands on his shoulder as she wished him a happy birthday.

The only thing wrong with it was the faint burning in his scar…

* * *

**Author's Notes: Just in case anyone forgot, Mrs. Figg gave Harry the same album for his birthday that Hagrid did canonically at the end of the first book and Petunia did have a few pictures of Lily (though not James), so that's why Harry knows what his parents look like.  
**

**So yeah, I decided to fill in all the names for the sorting while ignoring any movie exclusive characters, which would've added something like 2 dozen characters whether or not I included any of "my own." Gryffindor got 9, Ravenclaw and Slytherin got 10 and Hufflepuff got 11 students. I made Lily a Muggle-born to bring up the numbers a little.  
**

**Anyways, Hermione's introduction is the same as canon minus Ron, while Ron doesn't get introduced properly until the sorting. The sorting itself is near-identical to canon if you discount Harry's different attitude towards Slytherin and who his friends are at that point. I fully intend to explain how all of that happened at some future point... like when Harry figures out the Riddle. That could be soon, or that could be at the end of the series, I'm not telling. Also, I know I really shouldn't have, but I couldn't help but put in that bit when the hat sorted Ron, because it's reaction to Ron in the movie was one of my favorite moments.**

**Next chapter will start in on classes, Harry's attempts to find his way around the castle, more time spent with his friends (especially Tracey), and, of course, Snape. Possibly with some Dumbledore. On the note of Harry's friends, I don't know why Tracey ended up being my favorite; possibly because she's the one I got the most control over having no canonical persona, or maybe just because the personality I gave her ended up being so much fun. Also, I apologize for the likelihood that Tracey and Susan will be given more screentime/precedence than Anthony, because I write girls much better than boys.**

**Finally, don't expect massive and far-reaching changes from the outset; I'm exploring the dominoes effect of Petunia's changed attitude: Harry and Dudley are better off, but then Harry reaches the platform early, so Harry doesn't meet the Weasleys and instead meets Cedric, Tracey, Anthony and Susan. We'll have to see what the next domino is, because I'm not wholly sure of it myself. :P**

**And with that final note done, I ask everyone to please leave a review and let me know what you think of it! Given my love for Harry Potter, I really want to do well (and may try to mimic book patterns a bit, keeping this story relatively short and getting gradually longer and longer...).**

**Hope to see you soon!**


	3. A Week at Hogwarts

**Well, well, not too far behind so far. This chapter was a bit of a struggle, partially because I decided to actually hammer out their schedules. That meant quite a bit of playing around so as to make sense without resorting to handing a class of first years time turners. :P**

**The first few scenes were actually fairly easy, it was trying to cover the classes that was somewhat difficult.**

**Anyways, I'll try not to bore you. We get to see some of the shifts in academic performance here, as well as getting some Dumbledore and Snape in. Hooray!**

**Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.**

* * *

**HARRY POTTER**  
_**and the**_** SCHOOL **_**of **_**WITCHCRAFT **_**and**_** WIZARDRY**  
CHAPTER THREE: A Week at Hogwarts

Harry woke early the next morning and, overeager to get started and learn about magic, managed to not roll over and fall back asleep, getting an early start. By the time he was done getting ready for the day and heading down to the common room, only Dean had managed to rouse himself.

He was nervous as he descended the stairs, but Harry reassured himself that he'd be fine—this was, after all, what he'd been waiting for his whole life. He'd be able to make friends here and learn of the world to which his parents belonged. He just hoped he could make them proud.

Even still, it was a relief for Harry when he spotted a familiar face in the mostly empty common room.

"Katie!" he called, dashing over to her. The second year turned away from the notice board next to the common entrance and smiled at him.

"Morning Harry," she said, before motioning at the board. "I was just checking to see if the sign-up sheet for quidditch try-outs had been posted yet. The team's got two openings this year."

"That's great," said Harry, though he wasn't really sure about quidditch just yet. "Good luck, really."

"Thanks Harry. Did you need something though?"

"Oh, right." Harry glanced around briefly before focusing back on Katie. "Well, last night we were told by Percy that it would probably be a good idea to ask for help getting around the castle to start." Katie smiled.

"Ah, yeah, I remember my first week," she said. "Really, Hogwarts is a maze. Well, my friends all decided to sleep in, but I don't mind showing you to the Great Hall."

"Thanks."

Katie nodded and led Harry out the portrait hole.

"The stairs like to change frequently, and not always in a way that's obvious," said Katie. "Then there are trick steps that you have to remember to jump, the suits walk around, the portraits visit each other and sometimes you even run into walls pretending to be doors."

"Wait, what?"

Katie shrugged. "It's magic," she said. "More to the point, it's _Hogwarts_. Things don't get much more… unusual than they do here."

"You know, from everything I've seen of magic, most people don't actually notice how unusual it all is."

"Well, my grandfather was a Muggle and insisted that dad should keep in touch with the non-magical world. I mean, there are so many things that Muggles do better than magicals… you know?"

"Not really," said Harry with a shrug. "But then, I've only been here a day." Katie laughed just a bit.

"Anyways, as I was saying, Hogwarts is special," she said. "Most magical homes aren't all that different from Muggle ones, aside from unusual architecture from time to time and rooms that are bigger on the inside."

"The TARDIS!" cried Harry, though not too loudly. Katie laughed openly at that.

"Oh, thank god!" she said. "I thought I was going to have to spend the next six years without a single Doctor Who fan to talk to!"

"We should ask Dean, Lily and Hermione," said Harry thoughtfully. "Tracey might be a fan to."

"A Slytherin?" questioned Katie with a raised brow. Harry gave her an odd look, since he was certain she'd heard him call Tracey his best friend last night. "No, it's not what you think. Slytherin is pretty much rabidly pure-blood. I'm not sure a Muggle-born's ever gotten into the house and if any do today, they're not admitting to it."

"Ah, I wonder if that's why…" murmured Harry before shaking his head. "Anyways, Tracey's parents insisted she know both worlds." He decided not to detail her mother's profession/lineage for the time being.

"Got it," said Katie, just as they reached the entrance hall. "There's something I should warn you about now: you and Tracey are probably going to have problems. There's plenty of house rivalry going on, but it's practically a cold war between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I doubt very many people will give you grief over it, but some people take the conflict _very_ seriously, especially on the quidditch teams. Angelina Johnson, one of the chasers, and Oliver Wood, our keeper, are pretty much complete fanatics about it, though most stop worrying too much at fifth year or so. Just some advice."

"Alright then. Thanks Katie," said Harry, smiling as they stepped into the Great Hall and made their way to the Gryffindor table. Harry glanced at the other tables, hoping to spot his friends, and was delighted to see Tracey at the Slytherin table. Spotting him, she stood up and ran over to him.

"Mind if I sit here?" she asked with a smile as Harry sat down next to Katie. Harry smiled and motioned to the seat next to him, which she took. "Finally! I'm already regretting the Sorting, the Slytherins in my year are all really obnoxious!"

"How bad are they?" asked Katie curiously as she gathered food onto her plate. "I think about three-quarters of the ones in my year are unbearable, the rest are okay."

"Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott don't seem that bad from what little I've seen of them," said Tracey. "Nott doesn't like anyone though, and Zabini mostly just seems like he thinks everyone should be treated equally… provided they're pure-bloods. The girls are terrible." Katie grimaced at that.

"What about Daphne Greengrass?" asked Harry.

"What, got a thing for blondes Harry?" asked Tracey with a slight snort. Harry shook his head.

"No, it's just that I met her in Diagon Alley and she seemed okay then," he said. But then he thought back on it and continued, "But I guess she did get very quiet when she found out my parents were Gryffindors."

"I suppose she's not as bad as the others," said Tracey. "Parkinson is the worst of the lot, Bulstrode and King are sheep following her around, but Greengrass is more like an equal. But it seems she doesn't like me because I'm friends with you."

"Me? Why?" asked Harry. Tracey shrugged.

"Probably takes this whole Slytherin versus Gryffindor thing way too seriously," she said.

"You get that sometimes," said Katie. "Have you at least made some friends?"

"Well, the prefects seemed nice enough, and Terence Higgs was friendly."

Katie sputtered slightly.

"Did you say _Terence Higgs_?" she questioned incredulously. "I mean, he's always seemed nice enough, but he's still on the Slytherin quidditch team—I'd expect him to be annoyed with you and Harry being friends."

"Aren't you hoping to join the quidditch team?" asked Harry. Katie blushed.

At that moment though, a shadow fell over them, and the three looked up to see Professor Snape staring at them. For some odd reason, Harry thought the professor was avoiding eye contact with him.

"Miss Davis, while it is, of course, a _delight_ to see you spending time at the Gryffindor table without any hexes involved, I must ask you to return to the Slytherin table," he said smoothly. "The first breakfast of each term is when schedules are handed out, and it would be best for you to receive the schedule for Slytherin first-years instead of Gryffindor first-years. If, however, other students in our house are causing you trouble, you are welcome to sit wherever you like after this particular breakfast."

"Yes sir," said Tracey. Snape nodded slightly before sweeping away. Tracey turned to Harry. "Well, I guess I should listen to him. But before I go, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine," said Harry, motioning to Katie. "I seem to have found a friend already," Katie smiled at that, "and everyone in my year has been nice enough."

"Even _Granger_?" questioned Tracey. Harry shrugged.

"Well, she's a bit harder to tell," he admitted. "But maybe she won't be too bad once I get to know her."

"Right, you do that," said Tracey. "I'll see you at lunch. Bye."

"Bye," replied Harry and Katie as Tracey got up and returned to the Slytherin table. Katie turned her attention to Harry, just as Dean and Hermione arrived, led by a student Harry did not know.

"Nice girl, but what's her problem with Hermione Granger?" she asked.

"We met her on the train," said Harry. "She keeps talking and her tone is… well, a bit obnoxious. She also went on about how she's memorized the course books, so…"

"Ah, that type," said Katie dryly. "They usually go to Ravenclaw."

"Still, I'm not sure why Tracey has so many problems with her," said Harry, even as Hermione sat down with a moderate distance between them. "She's a bit unbearable, but Tracey…" He shook his head. "I really have no idea what the problem was there."

"You should ask her at some point," said Katie. She paused. "Also, don't forget to ask her about Doctor Who."

"Did someone say Doctor Who?" cut in Dean's voice suddenly, startling the two. He immediately plopped down opposite them. "Please tell me I wasn't hearing things. No one else in this place seems to know Doctor Who."

"Hermione doesn't?" asked Harry, a bit bewildered. He'd thought she'd be the type to enjoy it.

"She doesn't watch television," said Dean. "Says the tellie can't provide anything a book won't."

"She's a British Muggle-born and never heard of Doctor Who," muttered Katie, looking annoyed. "If that's not a form of blasphemy, I don't know what is."

Harry quickly decided that Katie was probably more of a Doctor Who fanatic than himself or Dean. He hoped she wasn't as fanatical about quidditch. And on that note…

Harry and Dean soon launched into a discussion of football, which intrigued Katie enough that the three were soon talking about sports in general. Katie apparently didn't really know any non-magical sports, and was quite interested in learning about them. She seemed especially fascinated by football, intrigued by a game in which no one but the goalie could touch the ball with their hands.

As time passed, the hall began quickly filling with people. Susan arrived before too long and offered both Harry and Tracey quick greetings before joining Hannah Abbot at the Hufflepuff table after being advised about sitting with her house for breakfast. Anthony showed up only a few minutes later.

"Morning Harry," he said, stopping by the Gryffindor table after first greeting Tracey and Susan. "Getting along with everyone?" Harry smiled and motioned to Dean and Katie.

"I've made friends," he said. "Katie's a bit of a sports fanatic though."

"I like athleticism! It's nothing to mock me for…"

"Nothing wrong with enthusiasm for sports," said Dean. "However, I will not acknowledge even the possibility of quidditch being better than football until I've seen a game."

"The first game is in November," said Katie quickly. "Don't know who will be playing though—I heard from Angelina that the order of the games is randomized."

"Any other friends?" asked Anthony. Harry noticed him glance in Hermione's direction, and quickly shook his head.

"Not really," he said. "But it's only been a day." Anthony chuckled.

"Fair enough," he said. "Hopefully I'll see you in class later." With that, he sat down at the Ravenclaw table right behind Harry. It wouldn't be difficult for the two to keep talking if they wanted.

It was near the end of breakfast, just as Ron Weasley was stumbling into the hall with Seamus Finnigan, both looking distinctly out of breath, that the four heads of houses began walking down the tables handing out schedules. Glancing at his, Harry saw that he first had History with the Hufflepuffs, then Charms with the Ravenclaws, followed by lunch and then Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Glancing down the schedule, he was disappointed to see that he wouldn't have Potions until Friday, a class he would be sharing with Tracey, though he also saw that he'd be taking Defense Against the Dark Arts with her Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and all four houses would share a single Astronomy class at midnight on Wednesday.

"Ooh, double Potions with the Slytherins," said Katie, looking at his schedule. "That's pretty bad, especially with everything Tracey was saying about the rest of the class." She looked at her own schedule and smirked slightly. "Great, my only classes with the Slytherins are double History tomorrow morning and two Transfiguration classes. Professor McGonagall will keep things in check, and everyone zones out too much for house rivalries to flare in History."

"Is it really that bad?" asked Dean.

"The teacher is a ghost over three centuries old," said Katie with a rueful smile. "He drones on and on and _on_ about the same general stuff. He doesn't do anything to make it interesting, he just lectures on the most boring topics."

"Wonderful way to start the magical education," said Harry dryly.

"Guess the Slytherins and Ravenclaws lucked out in that regard," said Katie. Harry glanced over his shoulder at Anthony, who'd apparently overheard everything they were saying.

"Tracey and I start with Herbology," he said. "History in the afternoon too. Still, don't want to be late on the first day—I'll see you in Charms, Harry."

"See you then Anthony," said Harry as the blond stood up.

"Looks like I'm starting with Defense," said Katie, also standing up. "See you two at lunch, Dean, Harry." The two waved to her as she departed, then looked at each other. Harry shrugged.

"We probably should've asked her to point us in the direction of the History classroom," he said, but Dean spotted Percy at that moment. The prefect was only too happy to provide them with directions, but warned them to be careful of the stairs even though the classroom was only on the second floor.

Determined not to get lost—and wanting as much spare time as possible if they did—Harry and Dean departed the Great Hall together.

* * *

Unfortunately, Katie's description of the ghost of Professor Cuthbert Binns proved to be spot on and not even Harry and Dean's eagerness to learn of the magical world could outperform the power of Binns' hypnotic droning—only Hermione managed to pay complete attention. Still, Harry managed to take down notes, if only because Susan's attempts to find a comfortable sleeping position on her desk kept distracting him from the extent of Binns' droning.

Getting to Charms class was a bit more difficult. Well, a lot more difficult. Harry and Dean got lost several times, but a sixth year Hufflepuff they ran into was able to get them on track and they arrived with a few minutes to spare. Harry sat down next to Anthony, who was looking a bit annoyed.

"So, how was Herbology?" asked Harry.

"The greenhouse was burning up and I think every Slytherin but Tracey is an absolute snob," said Anthony. "Most of them were looking down their noses at us, as if they were all somehow _inherently_ superior."

"Ah, so that's why you're looking irritable."

"Actually, my irritation is with the lovely Miss Granger," said Anthony. "She's _ever so disappointed in us_ for not all memorizing the course books even though we're supposed to be the house of intellect."

"You get the feeling the girl has no common sense," muttered Dean. Harry decided not to touch that comment with a ten-foot-pole for fear of the consequences.

"Anyways, the upside to Herbology was watching Tracey run verbal circles around her housemates. Malfoy and Parkinson tried to mock her for the way she was so friendly with you, me and Susan, and she replied by describing—in magnificent detail, I might add—our run-in with Malfoy on the train, then, with that perfect air of innocence she has," Harry snorted slightly, remembering that act quite well, "she proceeded to question how being friends with Harry Potter could be remotely un-Slytherin. After all, if you're as cunning and ambitious as a Slytherin should be, you should be quite capable of cozying up well with someone who is both famous and an icon of the light."

Harry groaned at that little reminder, but, before he could say anything, a tiny little man with shocking white hair entered the classroom, hopped up on some books so as to properly peer over the teacher's desk, introduced himself as Professor Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw House, and finally began taking register, checking that all students had arrived and helping him to properly match names to faces.

He squeaked and tumbled out of sight upon reaching Harry's name, which set Lavender and Parvati, seated next to Parvati's twin sister Padma and Morag MacDougal, into a fit of giggles.

Harry's only response was another groan of irritation, which earned him a friendly pat on the back from Anthony.

After Flitwick recovered and finished with the register, he launched into a lecture on charms and the different varieties of them. He also explained that, as first years, he would not begin teaching actual spellwork for awhile, but instead focus on teaching them the theory and the motions. It would probably have been somewhat dull if not for the way Flitwick kept using a variety of spells to keep them entertained—making all their textbooks rise off the table with a single flick of his wand, conjuring multicolored sparks that generated a comfortable amount of heat and making sheets of parchment fold up into birds and fly around the room.

After class, Flitwick quite happily led them down to the Great Hall so that they wouldn't get lost.

"So, was History as bad as your friend said?" asked Anthony. Harry nodded.

"I think the Professor's voice is actually enchanted to hypnotically lure students to sleep," he said. "Hermione seems to be immune."

"You seemed to pay attention just fine though," said Dean. Harry shrugged.

"Susan's attempts to find a comfortable sleeping position kept breaking the rhythm of the droning," he said. "I doubt I'll be as lucky in the future, so I think we should mostly study our textbooks very, _very_ thoroughly." Harry swore he saw the eyes of at least two Ravenclaws light up slightly from eagerness when they overheard that.

When they arrived in the Great Hall, Anthony opted to take a seat directly across the walkway between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables from Harry, who sat down next to Dean. He had not seen Katie anywhere, nor did it appear that the first year Slytherins or Hufflepuffs had arrived.

Around half an hour into lunch, Susan and Tracey arrived and hurried over to the Gryffindor table to sit with Harry.

"So, how has your morning been?" asked Harry. Susan smiled while Tracey scowled.

"That nap in History class was quite nice, though Professor McGonagall was very strict in Transfiguration," said Susan.

"I spent all morning with my housemates," said Tracey grumpily. "The seniors are fine, but those in my year are horrible. Only saving grace has been Anthony and Susan."

"Happy to help!" called Anthony, far too brightly for Tracey.

"I've still got History too," grumbled Tracey, "and Susan was all too happy to share the boring, sleepy details with me."

"Don't worry," said Harry. "You can probably just borrow my notes." They heard an annoyed huff then, drawing their attention to Hermione, who was scowling at them. "Something wrong?"

"If you let her do that, how is she learning anything?" demanded Hermione.

"By reading the textbook—I thought I mentioned that before we reached the hall," said Harry. "Katie was telling me about History, and she doesn't have a high opinion of the teacher—and I agree with her after sitting a class with him. History should not be so boring that you fall asleep during class."

Before anyone could say anything else, though, Katie popped up out of nowhere.

"Wow Harry, your first day and you're already putting the moves on three different girls," she said brightly. Dean started laughing loudly at that, Tracey smirked and shook her head, Harry started sputtering, Hermione looked scandalized and Susan blushed rather intensely. Though Harry did not see it, Anthony had started choking on his food after a failed attempt to mimic Dean's laughter. "But, in all seriousness, there's nothing wrong with sharing notes. It's doing someone's homework for them that would interfere with learning."

"They're right, Hermione," said Percy suddenly. Like Katie, he seemed to have popped out of nowhere. "Truth be told, my brother Bill got top scores in History, but he tells me he actually slept through every class." Harry wasn't sure if Percy was joking or not, but Hermione's scandalized expression was hilarious either way. However, she did back down, focusing instead on her food and her Herbology textbook.

"So anyways, Harry, you didn't mention that you knew Cedric," said Susan. Harry gave her a confused look.

"Yeah, I met him when I got on the train," said Harry.

"We talked a bit last night at the feast," said Susan. "I've known Cedric for years. It's actually part of why I was initially on that particular car."

"What about your other friends?" asked Tracey.

"Not a lot," said Susan. "Cedric is obviously older than me, Jason Long is even older than him, and then Alice Gray, who's a year younger and won't be coming till next year. It sort of comes with being raised by a busy aunt."

The group chatted amicably for a little while after that before Tracey and Anthony departed for History, while Susan joined the Gryffindor contingent in leaving the castle for the greenhouses. Professor Pomona Sprout, the Head of Hufflepuff, started off with a brief lecture on the topic and the dangers of the plants they would be handling in the coming years, before she started on identifying and caring for some of the less dangerous but still valuable plants.

It was, all-in-all, a rather enjoyable class, and Harry was pleased to see Neville acting confident in it. They were free after that, so Harry decided to hang out with Susan exploring the Hogwarts grounds for a while, while Dean went with Ron and Seamus to check out the quidditch stadium. Eventually, Harry and Susan decided to head in and check out the library (finding it with the aide of a friendly Slytherin named Nick Morgan), where they found Tracey and Anthony. There was a bit of a mad glint in the raven-haired girl's eyes that seemed to be making Anthony nervous. They explored the library a bit, before they came across Hermione with the same mad glint to her eyes as Tracey. That had immediately soured Tracey's mood and the friends departed soon after.

* * *

Finding his way around Hogwarts whenever Katie was unavailable as a guide quickly proved to be quite an adventure—and not always a good one. Harry, Dean and Tracey got on the wrong side of Caretaker Argus Filch the next day when they unwittingly tried to get into the Forbidden Corridor. He wouldn't believe they were lost, but they were saved by Professor Quirrell, passing by on the way to his first class of the day—which was, in fact, the very same one the three of them had been trying to find.

Unfortunately, Defense under Quirrell proved to be rather dull, though Harry managed to consistently beat both Hermione and Tracey whenever it came to answering questions Quirrell asked them. Quirrell himself barely seemed to know what he was doing though, changing the subject whenever someone asked him about any feats against the Dark Arts he related to them, and his massive stutter, garlic-smelling classroom and the odd smell hanging around his turban made him by far the most eccentric member of the staff Harry had met.

Wednesday saw Harry already taking his third and final Herbology class of the week with Susan, followed by another Defense class. He successfully lost himself in the twisting maze of Hogwarts in his attempt to find each class, but he and Dean arrived on time anyways thanks to help from friendly sixth years, many of whom had lots of free periods, yet didn't have quite as intense of study-work to do as the seventh years.

For their first Astronomy lesson, they were escorted by a prefect who left them in the care of Professor Aurora Sinistra. After the class, Sinistra escorted them to the vicinity of their respective common rooms, giving Harry a general idea of where in the castle Ravenclaw Tower was.

On Thursday they had their second Charms class, relatively late in the morning. In the afternoon came Double Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws, a class that confirmed Harry's original assessment of McGonagall, who was Head of Gryffindor House, as someone who was not to be crossed.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

She then gave them a display of her magic by transfiguring her desk into a pig and back, then dashed any hopes of mimicking her (at least anytime in the next few years) by forcing them to take a lot of complicated notes. When she was satisfied with that, she gave each of them a match and instructed them on the spell for turning it into a needle, halting and correcting individual students as they made mistakes, particularly Ron and Neville.

By the end of the three hour lesson, only Hermione and Harry had managed to actually transfigure their matches, drawing looks of envy from several Ravenclaws. There was something odd about McGonagall's expression—something like a cross between reminiscent and gleeful—as she showed the class the two needles before favoring Harry and Hermione with a rare smile. They earned eight points for Gryffindor—five for Hermione and three for Harry—for accomplishing what she explained was a difficult task for their first lesson.

"Normally," she said, "even the most gifted accomplish little more than turning their match silver in the first two or three classes. You should not be discouraged at your lack of results—at least, not yet."

* * *

The next morning found Tracey seated once again at the Gryffindor table with Harry and Dean. Ron was seated a bit further away with Seamus and, while not hostile towards Tracey, he seemed determined to interact with her as little as possible.

"Have you talked to Professor Snape at all?" asked Harry, rather conscious of the upcoming Potions class and all the stories he kept hearing about the teacher. Tracey shook her head.

"Not outside of that time our first day," she said. "I'm more concerned by the way Malfoy seems to keep praising him as the only proper teacher at Hogwarts, but that might just be because he's the only staff member who was definitely in Slytherin and… well, I think you've figured out what he thinks of other houses."

Harry nodded. At that moment, owls flooded the air above the tables and, to Harry's surprise, Hedwig flew down with a note attached to her leg. Harry read it and smiled. It was an invitation from Hagrid to come visit in the afternoon. He asked Tracey to join him, before stepping over to the Ravenclaw table to extend the same offer to Anthony, who agreed to pass it along to Susan in their upcoming Defense class.

Soon after, they made their way down to the dungeons, Tracey guiding Harry and Dean to the potions classroom. Minutes after all nineteen students had arrived, Snape entered the dungeon, cloak billowing just slightly. He started by taking the register, pausing briefly at Harry's name.

"Ah yes, Mister Potter," he said, eyes flickering briefly to Harry, but not quite meeting the almond green eyes. "Our new… _celebrity_." Malfoy snickered at that. Sitting next to Harry, Tracey shook her head in irritation.

After reading off the last two names, Snape began what was clearly an oft-spoken speech.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he said, voice barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word. Something about him simply forced silence on the classroom. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses… I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed, but everyone seemed eager to prove themselves—well, almost everyone. Malfoy was still carrying his usual arrogant air, and Ron and Neville both looked quite nervous. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed very eager to prove that she was not a dunderhead.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly, startling the whole class. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry blinked while Hermione's hand shot into the air. He quickly thought over his potions textbook, which he'd studied quite intently, but he was certain powdered root of asphodel had never been mentioned.

"I don't know, sir," he said. Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut—fame clearly isn't everything," he said, ignoring Hermione's hand. "Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?" Hermione stretched her hand higher at that.

Harry felt Tracey give his arm a slight squeeze of encouragement. He couldn't be sure without looking at her (and no way was he going to look away from Snape at this particular moment), but he suspected she was glaring venomously at her Head of House.

"The stomach of a goat—it's a stone that can serve as an antidote to most poisons." Snape looked a bit surprised by Harry's answer, which had also shut up the snickering of Malfoy and (most of) the other Slytherins. Hermione also settled back a bit.

"Correct," said Snape quietly. "A final question then: What is the difference between monskhood and wolfsbane?"

"There isn't any," said Harry, this time with full confidence. "They're the same plant, also known as aconite."

"Indeed," said Snape. "A pity you couldn't answer my first question…"

"I think Hermione could've," said Harry, softly. "She probably could've answered all three, sir." Snape quirked an eyebrow at this before finally looking at Hermione.

"Well, Granger? Can you rise to Mister Potter's challenge?"

"Yes sir," she said eagerly, shooting Harry a brief, thankful look. "Asphodel and wormwood are ingredients in a powerful sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death."

"Correct," said Snape with a slight nod. His eyes swept over the rest of the class. "Well? Why aren't any of you writing this down?" The scratching of quills almost immediately filled the classroom, but Harry, after sharing a small smile, looked back at Snape, briefly locking eyes with the potions master, who quickly turned away and walked to his desk.

But as Snape sat down, he spoke up once more.

"Potter, Granger," he said, silencing the room once more. "Those questions are more than a first year should actually be able to answer. Five points to Gryffindor for each answer. And… another five points, Mister Potter, for supporting a housemate."

With the exception of the four students who grew up in Muggle households, the entire classroom was absolutely floored by that. Snape's blatant favoritism of Slytherin was well-known, and few of them had ever known a system of near-complete fairness all around at school. Tracey looked absolutely delighted.

The class proceeded smoothly from there. To Harry's delight, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle made several mistakes as Snape went over the basic of preparation, though the Professor did not reprimand them the way he did any Gryffindor students who did the same. Snape did not meet Harry's eyes again for the whole lesson, but he did offer his approval of Harry, Tracey and Hermione's prep work, though Dean took some flak when he failed to clean his cauldron before their first fake-brewing session.

* * *

"Hi, Hagrid," said Harry as the giant man opened the door while restraining a large boarhound with one hand. "I came with my friends—hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," said Hagrid pleasantly, pulling back his dog and letting the four in. "Don't mind Fang, he's actually real friendly. Bloody coward too. Now then, who are you three?"

"I'm Susan."

"Anthony."

"Tracey."

"Ah, right, Madam Bones niece," said Hagrid thoughtfully. "Good woman, need more like her in the Ministry. Anthony? Think I knew yer father. Tracey… yeh know, seein' you and Harry reminds me o' when his parents were here…" Seeing their looks, Hagrid backpedaled slightly. "Er, not like that. I meant Lily and… well, I guess it's not me place ter say it, but Lily was good friends with a Slytherin when she came here."

"Oh good," said Tracey. "Harry's fame isn't leading to early speculation on his love life."

"I certainly hope not," said Harry. "I'm _eleven_!"

"Stereotypically still in the 'girls-are-icky' phase," added Tracey.

"Sometimes I wonder why we're even here," said Anthony to Susan. "You ever notice how those two seem to talk to each other more than us?"

"Speak for yourself," said Susan with a smirk that implied she'd spent too much time around Tracey. "They talk to me plenty."

"Oh, Susan, I'm so sorry for leaving you out of the conversation," said Tracey. Her innocent air immediately made her three friends weary. "I really didn't mean too." Then she blinked and looked at Anthony. "Anthony? Why are you here?" Susan burst into giggles while the others looked at Tracey incredulously.

"How can you do that with a straight face?" asked Harry in wonder.

"I told you already: my mum's a lawyer." Harry and Anthony burst out laughing at that. Hagrid scratched his head, wondering what kind of inside joke he was missing here before shrugging it off and offering them tea and cakes. It took them about half a second after Tracey successfully tricked Anthony into taking the first bite to decline Hagrid's cooking, though the tea was good.

"Did I offend you two somehow?" whined Anthony slightly. "Why do you two always victimize me?"

"I don't like blonds, since I'm constantly dealing with two extremely stuck up ones," said Tracey. Susan shrugged.

"I'm just mimicking Tracey so she doesn't turn on me."

While his friends bantered, however, Harry had taken notice of a clipping from the _Daily Prophet_ lying on Hagrid's table detailing a break-in at Gringotts. More to the point, though, detailing a break-in on Harry's birthday in which nothing was stolen… because the vault was emptied earlier that day.

"Hagrid?" said Harry hesitantly. "This Gringotts break-in… have they said what vault was targeted?"

"No, they didn't," said Hagrid, a bit too quickly, not meeting any of their eyes as he did so. That disturbed Harry a great deal, perhaps a bit more so when Hagrid suddenly changed the topic and asked them how their classes were going.

"Well, I'd have to say I keep feeling inadequate," said Anthony lightly. "Harry here turned a match into a needle in our first Transfiguration class and knows more about Charms than anyone in my house. Tracey just outsmarts everyone in the classes we share. Can't speak for Susan, because not much goes on in Defense and we're too busy making sure we don't mess up in Potions."

"Professor Snape's as strict as Professor McGonagall," agreed Susan. "I just wish he'd have awarded at least one point for things we did well."

"Yeah, especially with how he took about five points total from each house for various mistakes," said Anthony. "I still can't figure out why he awarded Harry points."

"What's that?" questioned Hagrid in surprise.

"Professor Snape asked Harry three difficult questions," said Tracey. "Harry got five points for each one he got right."

"Hermione got one of the questions," added Harry. "I don't see why everyone's so shocked about this." He looked at Hagrid. "I mean, everyone keeps saying it's unusual, but Professor Snape seemed to dislike my fame, so it's not like he should be treating me any different, right?"

"Er, right, o' course not," said Hagrid quickly, but it was obvious he was hiding something from them. He wouldn't meet any of their eyes and refused to say more on the subject.

The quartet returned to the castle not much later and Harry resolved to write a letter to Petunia sharing with her how his first week had gone.

But even as he was writing it, he couldn't help but wonder at what was going on with Snape and if his guess about Gringotts Vault 713 was correct…

* * *

Rumors at Hogwarts spread at a truly ridiculous pace. Albus Dumbledore had often mused on trying to harness that speed to create some speedier means of travel—surely there must be something faster than the Knight Bus or flight when one needed to travel between Hogwarts and London quickly? The floo network was too limited in range and difficult to maintain besides, while portkeys were time consuming to make and did not hold their magic for very long.

Still, the power of the rumor mill was hardly necessary for Dumbledore to know exactly why the man he trusted perhaps more than any other—possibly even more than his own brother—had just arrived in his office.

"I take it you've heard?" said Snape without preamble.

"I have," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling. "And I must say, these rumors are really the silliest things, aren't they? Why, I hear you awarded twenty points to Gryffindor just this morning—fifteen of them to no less than Harry Potter. I fear Minerva may have a heart attack."

Snape said nothing in response and Dumbledore sighed.

"Tell me, Severus, what do you make of him?"

"He is… arrogant," said Snape. "Delighted by his fame, as egotistical as…"

"Don't lie to me, Severus," said Dumbledore coldly. "Were he such, we would not be having this conversation right now. I keep hearing of his resemblance to James, yet it is only Minerva who has compared them… and only because of Harry's remarkable feat in her class yesterday. Now, tell me the truth. What do you make of _Lily's son_?"

The meaning behind that emphasis was rather blatant.

"He is… gifted," admitted Snape, teeth gnashing together slightly. "His… performance… was surprisingly natural. Only Granger exceeded him, but she is obviously going through the motions of the textbook. Po—Harry, seems to have a talent for it."

"And the points?"

"I asked him questions far above his grade level," said Snape. "He answered two of them and asked me to see if Granger could answer the last. She did."

"I am surprised," said Dumbledore. "I would think seeing Harry supporting Miss Granger would… ah, bring back bad memories, shall we say." Snape looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I have watched and listened, Severus. Harry seems quite humble and determined. He is extraordinarily talented, too. Quirinus tells me he has the best performance in Defense, Flitwick has high hopes for his Charms potential and I've already mentioned his successful Transfiguration lesson. And here you are, telling me that he has shown a bit of a gift for potions. Tell me, what were the questions you asked?"

"A trick question on the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane." Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Where he could locate a bezoar—which he answered, and related its properties." Dumbledore smiled slightly. Snape hesitated a moment before going on.

"The first question—the one Granger answered—was what would result from powdered root of asphodel being added to an infusion of wormwood."

Dumbledore blinked, leaning back in his seat slightly.

"An interesting choice," he said softly. "A very interesting choice indeed. But regardless, you feel that Harry has a gift? Do you plan to cultivate it?"

"Done right," said Snape, grinding his teeth. "Whatever your expectations of the Dark Lord, I can no doubt manipulate even favoring him to my advantage."

"Indeed. And tell me, what do you think of his friendship with Miss Davis?"

Snape said nothing to that. Both of them knew how Snape was feeling about it.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Why yes, I'm a Doctor Who fan, why do you ask?  
**

**I've had fun with Katie and Dean so far. Tracey scares me a bit. Cool, calm and with that "oh so perfect air of innocence." I really have to be careful with her, especially given that I decided to make her fairly intelligent as well (though I suppose I can nudge easily enough since we only really see her potions performance). I think she's mostly going to be there to snark at everyone and everything.**

**Hermione... the girl's smart and she really devours books, but she definitely seems to be a bit lacking in common sense. I always felt that was a realistic and reasonable flaw of brilliance, so I made sure to play that here.**

**Not much else to say, other than noting that I really hope I don't have to write Hagrid too much more for this first story. His accent is really annoying... and inconsistent, too.**

**Please leave a review! My passion for Harry Potter demands that I do a good job on this story! Hopefully I'll be able to keep up the writing at least to the end of this first story, but I am going to be started college again soon...**


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